Missing
by Caranath
Summary: Joe returns from a lengthy undercover assignment to devastating news.
1. Chapter 1

******A/n:** _Didya miss me? I decided that I wasn't going to wait until after the new year to post, but instead I will endeavor to finish this before I run off to the tropics for Christmas. As of this moment, I have about 4 chapters in the can, but I will not update daily. maybe every 4 or 5 days. which gives me some lead time. does that make me naughty, or nice?! _

**Chapter One**

Joe Hardy grinned as he pulled out of the long term parking lot of the Bayport Regional airport. He was tired, but so very happy to be home. For the past three weeks, he had been deep undercover, working as a favor to an old friend of his father's in the FBI. Not even his brother Frank knew the details, nor would he, as it was highly classified. Agent Pierce had originally asked Fenton if he could 'borrow' the elder brother, but ultimately, it was Joe's Navy background, complete with still valid Security Clearance, that provided the way into the operation. It was, however, not without sacrifice on his part.

The last 23 days had been completely without contact with his family and worse, his girlfriend. Joe's grin got wider as he turned his thoughts towards the tiny dark haired Halloran. It was also tinged with an evil glint in his eye as he contemplated just exactly how he was going to reacquaint himself with her charms. And her Key Lime pie. As soon as the Flight attendant had indicated that cell phones could be used as they were taxiing to the gate, Joe had whipped his out and called her. Disappointed to get her voicemail, he nevertheless put a cheerful tone in his voice. "Hey Gorgeous, I'm back! Just need to stop by my place to drop off luggage and let the Prison Warde..err I mean, my beloved elder brother know that I am back and then I will stop by. I am taking you out to dinner, wherever you want, so be ready about 6. Love ya!" he clicked off and shared a grin with the person sitting next to him on the plane, an older gentleman slightly younger than his father.

"Business trips are such a pain, aren't they?" the man commiserated. "All that time away from loved ones."

"Yep, but Homecoming is worth it though, ain't it?!" That got a laugh and look of envy.

"Enjoy it while you can, son. Some of us aren't so lucky." the smile now was a trifle less cheerful, but Joe couldn't tell if it was laced with regret, or bitterness. Either way, he was not about to let it ruin his mood. He waited until he was waiting by the baggage carousel to call the office.

He got his father on the phone, who was very happy to hear that his youngest child was back. "Frank and Sam have been swamped. I offered my services for some field work and was flatly turned down. I think your mother got to them first." Fenton chuckled. He had been mostly retired since his second heart attack just over a year earlier, spending little time in the office at all, and when he was, it was spent answering phones and doing paperwork. At one point, the brothers discussed hiring a proper receptionist, but ultimately decided that until their father indicated he was ready to hang it up completely, they would leave things as is. Joe assured his father that he was heading there first, but warned him it would be a very quick visit. "I have a hot date with a beautiful girl and I don't wanna be late!" Fenton chuckled again before hanging up.

Traffic was fairly heavy as it was just coming up on rush hour. Even so, it didn't take long for Joe to pull in to the small parking lot that served the Agency office with a reserved spot for the apartment upstairs. He decided to dump his luggage and shower/change first, figuring he could use the excuse he was already late to see Hall to get out of anything more taxing than a "Hi, I'm alive, will start catching up on stuff tomorrow." to his Taskmaster of a big brother. The shower was quick, as he was anxious to see Halloran. This was the first time in their relationship where his job had necessitated no contact. Up till then, even when undercover or on stakeout, there were moments where he could sneak off and let her know he was fine and thinking of her. Sometimes it was never more than a text message, but he still made a concerted effort, knowing her anxiousness at times. Ever since her confessions about her childhood and the losses she had endured, Joe had been even more determined to reinforce his commitment to the lovely black haired vixen who had stolen his heart( and on more than one occasion, his sweatshirts).

While he didn't exactly dawdle in the shower or when choosing his outfit( Dark grey slacks, a maroon dress shirt and a jauntily patterned tie in both colors) it was after 530 when he was on his way down the stairs headed towards the office. He was determined to not spend more than ten minutes kibitzing with anyone, anxious to sweep Halloran up into his arms and remind her exactly how much he had missed her.

As he approached the outer, door, however, he gradually became aware of strident voices raised in anger coming from the other side. He paused outside, not wanting to get involved in any scenario that would prevent him from meeting Halloran on time, or getting sucked into a new case immediately. He was just about ready to turn around and tiptoe away (_I'll call later, when it's safe and I am at the restaurant_) when he suddenly realized he recognized the angriest voice. With sudden dread, he twisted the doorknob and eased his way inside.

There was no one in the outer reception area, but the voices were coming from Frank's office. It had once been their father's, but he had willingly surrendered it when he turned the reins over to his eldest. The door was slightly open, but not enough for him to see inside. Joe paused, hand on the door knob, and listened for a moment. His father's voice could be heard trying to placate the other two. Frank's voice was uncharacteristically raised in anger. It was directed toward the female in the room. From his vantage point, Joe couldn't see who it was, but he knew anyway. Mentally, he pictured a tall, athletic blond with short hair and piercing blue eyes that were either hard and glittering, or bright and sparkling, depending on her mercurial mood swings. He laid odds that this minute, they were positively daggers. Ever since their first meeting a few months ago, Melody Harper took an instant dislike to Frank. The feeling was entirely mutual. Joe himself had no real issue with her other than her hard, non nonsense attitude and entirely unfounded suspicions over his intentions towards Halloran. He tolerated her for the sake of her friendship with his girlfriend. The last time he had seen her was when she had come by the office in an official capacity as Park Ranger to inform them that her erstwhile partner Travis had been apprehended, confessed readily his part in the fiasco that had resulted in their quiet weekend at Halloran's cabin being rudely interrupted by a couple of idiotic poachers. In true Joe Hardy fashion, somehow he managed to get shot and required transportation out by litter. Of the three would be poachers, one was mauled to death by the very bear he was trying to kill, and the other two had surrendered mostly peacefully and were now awaiting sentencing, having each pled guilty to the charges against them.

But Frank.. that was another story entirely. He never really discussed what had gone on between himself and the Ranger during Joe's rescue, but every time her name was mentioned, Frank's lips would tighten into a thin line and his normally soft brown eyes would narrow in anger. This both puzzled and amused Joe. Frank was notoriously even keeled, able to get along with practically everyone. So anything that could rattle his brother automatically got stashed away in a corner for future torment possibilities. At the same time, Joe couldn't help but think that the sparks between them weren't of the combustible variety. Sometimes he thought Frank needed someone who would push his buttons, and while he had eagerly accepted that responsibility in his younger days, he felt it was time to move on and actually stop tormenting his brother _quite_ so much. There were times, rare, of course, where he felt sorry for his older brother. Frank seemed to have a much harder time of it when it came to being social and personal relationships. It was Callie all those years ago who decided that she wanted to be Frank's boyfriend, and in true gentlemanly fashion, he did the gallant thing and acceded to her wishes. When she broke it off during college, again, Frank just let it happen and since then had made no move to change his status as a confirmed bachelor. It was a personality trait Joe honestly could not comprehend, being far more charming and outgoing and much preferring the company of other people, especially girls, to solitude. Yet another tiny difference in the brothers that occasionally caused strife but more often than not, complemented.

Joe took a deep breath and pushed the door completely open. Frank and Melody had their backs to him so did not notice when he made his presence known. Fenton, however, did see and his face paled at the sight of his blond offspring. The other two took no notice of the older man's countenance and were still going at it at full volume when Joe took two fingers, placed them in his mouth, and whistled shrilly, causing both of them to stop short in mid shout. Both of them whirled sharply, with Frank's eyes widening in shock and possibly fear as well.

"Now that I have everyone's attention, mind telling me what the hell is going on and why you two are trying to kill each other?" Joe inquired deceptively mildly, arms crossed across a broad chest and with an eyebrow raised. For a long minute no one moved or even breathed, it seemed. Then the moment passed and Fenton stepped between the two combatants and stood in front of Joe, placing trembling hands on his youngest child's shoulders.

"Joseph," Fenton said, voice thick with emotion. "Halloran is missing."

**A/n: **_ I know, I am terrible, mean and rotten. It's a gift. Really have no idea how long this will be, nor do I know quite how badly i am going to torture the Blond One before this is all over. no one panic, or break out the tar and feathers. I have no intention of killing off my OC, whom I love. _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: **_Happy Hump day! I realize that for many it's a short week( if you had Monday off) but that's no reason not to celebrate the upcoming weekend. Unless the forecast calls for snow. In which case I give you permission to sulk. Oh and I just realized, Vinsmouse, that your question about how long she'd been mission was in fact NOT answered in the first chapter. soo uh.. it will be in this one. yeah, uhh sorry 'bout that. _

**Chapter Two**

Joe's world froze. He blanched, and staggered a bit, which led his father to steer him to a chair that had been pushed out of it's usual spot in front of the oversized mahogany desk. Frank instinctively moved towards his brother, but was blocked by the still furious Melody. Ordinarily, Frank was the most gentlemanly of men, opening doors for ladies, and generally treating them like paragons. Not this time. He roughly shoved past her, causing her to stumble against the desk, knocking over the picture that dominated one corner. But before he could get any further, she reached out and grabbed him by the arm, swung him around and started screaming in his face.

Fenton tried to break them up, reminding them that there were more important issues at hand, but neither one was listening. Another shrill whistle broke through the cacophony and once again, all three faces turned to Joe, who had somewhat regained his composure and had stood up, glaring at all three equally. "I thought I asked you to keep an eye on her, Frank?!" the tone was almost but not quite accusing. Before Frank could respond, Melody snorted derisively.

"Some boyfriend you are, abandoning her for three weeks without so much as a phone call!" At that, Joe whirled and advanced on her so fast she backed up into the desk again, this time moving the immense piece of furniture itself back a good three inches.

"Do Not EVER accuse me of that again." he growled so menacingly that Fenton placed a hand on his son's visibly trembling arm and squeezed, trying to diffuse the too tense situation. "Halloran knew and understood. Just because you don't approve doesn't mean you have any right to pass judgement on our relationship. I was _talking to my brother._ YOU can shut your mouth until I am ready to hear what you have to say." With that he faced his dark haired sibling. It took a concerted effort on his part, but he did manage to lose the anger when he spoke again. "I asked you to call her every day."

"And for the first week I did. Then she told me she was a big girl and she was fine and to quit bugging her." Frank's voice was pleading, begging for understanding. At this point, Fenton interjected. "Your mother had lunch with her on Thursday. She was fine, seemed to be holding up. Missed you terribly, Laura said she never shut up about you the entire time." this brought a wistful smile to the blond's face, softening the sapphire blue eyes that a second ago had glittered dangerously. Seeing that neither man had anything further to say, he silently turned towards the blond who stood only an inch shorter than he did, raising one eyebrow in invitation to speak as the frown returned.

Melody took a very deep breath, closed her eyes and counted to ten. In the back of her mind she knew that all this screaming was getting them nowhere, but that damned brunette was so irritating she couldn't help but get her hackles up the minute she laid eyes on him. "She called me on Saturday. Sounded a little down and wanted me to come by and spend the night. I couldn't, but promised I would stop by yesterday after work and we'd go out for dinner. When I got to her house last night, she wasn't there. I waited over an hour, then called her cell. It went straight to voice mail. Then I called her work. The receptionist told me she had left a little after 5." she paused, waiting for the explosion of temper she was sure to occur. When it didn't, Joe merely nodding at her to continue, she resumed her story. "I have a spare key to the house. I let myself in to wait; I figured maybe she ran into traffic and her cell was dead. I've been doing double shifts since Travis..." here she made a face at the mention of her former partner before continuing. "I was exhausted, I guess I fell asleep. Next thing I know, it's 7 am and she never came home last night!"

Joe sat back down, digesting the words. On the one hand, it was good that it appeared only a very short time had passed since anyone had seen or heard from her. On the other, her lack of communication was troubling. If anyone was anal about keeping her cell phone charged, it was Hall. "Hospitals?" he asked tersely to no one in particular but knowing either his father or brother would answer. It was his father.

"No luck there, also no reports of her car being towed or in an accident. Greg says to keep him in the loop and the minute the 24 hours is up, he'll make it official." It was standard policy in nearly every police department than an adult had to be officially missing a minimum of 24 hours before a Missing Person's report could be filed. That meant nothing would be done until 7 am tomorrow morning. Joe was mollified that at least their friend Greg Herndon would not wait one minute longer unless he was informed that it was not necessary.

"So the last time anyone saw her was at work?" he clarified. When he received three nods, Joe stood up, and briskly said. "Right. Then that is where we start. I'll drive." he turned and walked out of the office, the rest following close behind. He stopped at the outer door and faced the two younger adults before him. "I want it to be perfectly understood, right here and right now. When we leave this office, you two WILL behave yourselves and you WILL work together and you WILL be civil to one another. I will not waste any time refereeing when we should be concentrating all our efforts on one thing and one thing only. And that is finding Halloran. Am I making myself clear?!" those blue eyes were daggers again and both Frank and Melody swallowed nervously under their unflinching gaze. With only sidelong glances at each other, they nodded. "Dad?" Joe asked, showing for the first time just a hint of his fear and vulnerability. "Will you keep an eye on things here? Make the usual phone calls?"

"Of course, Joseph. Try not to worry. I am sure you will find her." Fenton smiled reassuringly. Joe smiled back, but it was a mere shadow of his usual infectious grin.

As they made their way out the door, Joe said. "Give me three minutes to change into something more appropriate. Play nice while I am gone." There was no trace of his normal kidding tone. He abruptly turned and went flying up the stairs two at a time, leaving the combatants to stand awkwardly in an uncomfortable silence. Three minutes passed. Then five. After ten, Frank swallowed nervously and spoke. "I am going to check on him. Wait in the SUV." he handed over his keys to Melody, who accepted them wordlessly. As she left outside, Frank bounded up the stairs much in the same way his brother had before.

The front door was open, so Frank didn't bother knocking. He just walked into the small apartment. "Joe?" he called out quietly. There was no answer so Frank moved further into the living room. The kitchen was empty. Frank continued on towards the bedroom. He found Joe leaned against the bathroom sink, eyes closed and hands gripping the sides in a grip so tight his fingers were white. Frank said nothing more, merely walked into the bathroom and placed a single hand on a tense shoulder.

Joe stiffened, then sighed deeply as he turned around to face his brother. His eyes were full of unshed tears. Frank pulled his distraught sibling into a hug. In a rare display of vulnerability, Joe not only let him, but wrapped both his own arms around his brother and held on for dear life. The siblings stood that way for a couple of minutes, each thinking the same thing, Frank with sadness and regret, Joe with despair and a fear bordering on hysteria. Frank knew that the usual platitudes would not apply, nor would they be well received, so all he said was "Keep it together, Little Brother. You need to keep it together, for her." The only response was a nod but he did pull away and splash a little water on his face. Still silent, he led the way downstairs to the SUV. Melody had wisely chosen to sit in the back and left the keys on the driver's side seat. Joe slid into that side and had the car turned over before Frank got around the front and buckled himself in. No one spoke a word the entire trip, each lost in their own thoughts. Melody spent the time staring at each brother in turn, trying to gauge mood and temper levels. She was honestly a little confused, as absent was Joe's bubbly personality and irreverence, which she had once thought entirely inappropriate considering the circumstances she had seen. One should not be cracking jokes when one has been shot in the chest. Instead, all she saw was grim determination and a very carefully presented mask of professionalism. The bright blue eyes, similar to her own, which normally sparkled with suppressed mirth were hard agates. As for the other one, what she saw there was more of that over the top ( in her opinion) concern for his brother. While she was glad that finally some action was being taken, she was still steamed at Frank's initial hostility and reluctance to drop everything for Halloran.

The drive to Halloran's last known location was shorter than Frank had imagined it would be, and he gasped when Joe pulled into the parking lot. "_This_ is where she works?!"

Melody snorted. "_This_ is what she _owns_ Mister Smarty Pants." Frank gasped and turned disbelieving eyes from one face to the other.

"Why didn't you tell me she owned one of the most successful software companies in the state?!" Frank exclaimed incredulously. Joe just shrugged.

"It was her grandfather's. Control passed to her when he died. She wasn't doing much more than letting it continue on as is. It's only in the last several weeks that she's been getting more involved. I helped her empty out his office just before I..left.." Joe paused, knowing he couldn't say much more with Melody around. He pulled into a visitor's parking spot and turned off the car.

Joe led the way to the airy reception area. They all had to empty their pockets into trays and send their items through an xray machine as well as walk through a metal detector. The security guard recognized both Joe and Melody, who had been here before as well. But Frank got a more thorough going over of his ID. Had circumstances been different, Joe would have made some sort of joke about it. The guard spoke. "Mr. Hardy, I'm sorry, but Miz Jacobs hasn't been in today. I'm afraid without proper authorization none of you can go up."

Melody was about to fly off the handle when Frank grabbed her arm in a tight grip and shook his head. Joe smiled tightly and replied. "That's why I am here. She never made it home last night after leaving the office. I'd like to see the security footage of the employee garage and entrances. And I would rather **not** wait until the official Missing Person's report." Joe pulled out other credentials, including, coincidentally, the FBI badge he had recently been issued. Immediately, the guard became eager to help.

"Frank, go with Todd here and see if you can find out anything. Try not to drool over the toys." when Halloran had given him a tour of the place, he had been slightly jealous of the high tech gear and gadgetry. Frank would positively swoon his little geeky heart out. Phil Cohen would have a heart attack. "Melody, you and I are going to talk to her secretary." With a nod to Todd, he gestured for Melody to precede him in the elevator. They rode it in silence up the three floors. Upon arriving, Melody gestured for Joe to go first, which he did, briskly walking down the hall towards the reception desk at the far end.

The receptionist stood as they approached, Todd having called her and told her of the impending arrivals. "Mr Hardy, I can't imagine what could have happened, I swear Miz Jacobs left here without incident!" the girl was obviously flustered.

"It's all right, Karen? Right?" Joe gave a small smile that seemed to calm her considerably. "But I do need to know everything you can remember about yesterday. What she was doing, who she spoke to, that sort of thing."

"Well, you'd have to ask Alice all that, I guess. She's the one who handles all the appointments and stuff. I just answer the phone and announce arrivals." Karen picked up the phone and punched 3 numbers. "Alice? Are you busy? Mr Hardy is here wanting to talk to you about Miz Jacobs." after a few seconds, she said "I'll send him right in."

Alice met them at the door to her office, which was adjacent to the CEOs. She was a plump, efficient looking woman in her late 60s who had worked for Halloran's grandfather for thirty years, even following him when he moved the headquarters from San Diego to Bayport. Joe had met her only once before, but Melody knew her much better, having been present at many a company picnic or party over the years. She looked a little stunned as she absently waved them into her office and invited them to sit down.

"I'm not sure what you are looking for Mr. Hardy," she began. I really can't offer any information as to what was or was not the usual." she looked apologetic. "I'm afraid I only have worked with Miss Halloran a few weeks on a professional basis. For all I know, her not appearing at work today without a call was normal..." her tone, however, left no doubt as to her opinion if that was the case.

Melody spoke up then. "It isn't. She was supposed to meet me for dinner last night and she never showed. It wasn't until this morning that anyone realized that she had never made it home at all."

Joe interjected. "We know she left the office about 5; were you the last person to see her?"

Alice considered. "Hmm, probably. Karen leaves at noon on Wednesdays because she stays until 6 the other days. The only other offices on this floor are the CFO's and the Quality Control Officer. And Dave's been out of town for the last 2 weeks at some sort of convention." She offered glasses of water to each person, who accepted with nods and sipped as they waited for her to continue. "That's Dave Markson, the Quality Control Officer. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he has never even met Miss Halloran."

"What about the Chief Financial Officer?" Joe asked. "Before I had to leave a few weeks ago, Hall had mentioned there were some oddities in the financial records that she didn't understand and was going to go over the figures with him more thoroughly."

"Oh yes, that would be Albert Monroe. Been with the company longer than I have. They met for almost two hours actually. He seemed in rather a hurry when he left, didn't even say good bye as he passed. Never saw him the rest of the day." she sniffed, affronted.

"I'd like to speak to him myself, if that's possible" Joe said, leaning forward. His brain was working overtime, seeing suspicion where there might not be. But he was taking no chances. He knew his father was working the possibility that he was to blame, and that a past dealing with a criminal had led to Hall's disappearance as a means to exact revenge. Joe suppressed a mental shudder, not allowing himself to dwell on that. He knew if that were the case, he'd never forgive himself, and Melody.. well Melody would probably kill him.

In the meantime, Frank and Todd were going over the tapes from just before 5 the night before to about 9 pm. While there were several security cameras located at all entrances and elevators, a large portion of the garage was not under surveillance. Finding Hall was easy as she was seen entering the elevator on the third floor and exiting it on the garage level. But for the next two hours worth of footage from the garage exit, there was no sign of her car. Frank was beginning to suspect she never made it out at all. "Is there any other way out of the garage, perhaps not under camera?" Todd shook his head.

"Nope. In fact the only other exit is the docks, and those have multiple cameras trained on them. I can see into the semi's when they back up." he replied.

"Can you get me the license plates of every car that did leave the garage from 5 pm to midnight?" Frank asked.

"Can do better 'n that. I can tell you who drives each one. Been here 15 years. Hell I could tell you how many new cars Mr Monroe has gotten over the last 3 years." Todd smiled as he turned to the screen and began jotting down names as each car passed through the exit. While he did that, Frank busied himself admiring the set up. It rivaled many private security companies and quite honestly, Frank was hard pressed to _not_ drool despite his brother's request. (_I have got to tell Phil about this place, he'll go insane_.)

"While you are doing that, mind if I go check out the garage? I want to see if I can find her car." Todd readily agreed, but pulled out a special Visitor's badge first, handing it to the elder Hardy. "This will let you roam around without being stopped and questioned for not having an escort." With a nod of thanks, Frank clipped it to his jacket and made his way swiftly to the elevator. Riding it down to the garage, he took off in the direction Halloran was seen heading. It took a few minutes to locate her car, but it seemed undisturbed. He circled it, not touching anything. He peered into the windows, crouched to get a look underneath. Nothing. He pulled out his cell phone but quickly realized he would get no signal in the underground garage, so he returned to the main reception area although this time he took the emergency stairs to search for clues. As soon as he got inside, he dialed his brother. "Joe? Found the car. Haven't touched it, I think we should wait for the police to process it. I will give Greg a call, see if can sweet talk him into getting a jump on things." Joe's response was laced with a few profane words but he did say they'd be right down.

In fact, Joe was getting frustrated as all get out. Melody had no sense of tact whatsoever and 30 seconds into the meeting with Monroe managed to insult him royally. It took Joe a considerable amount of time, and his most charming manner to soothe the irate man and get him to calm down enough to speak to them. "I am sure," Joe said with a glare at Melody, "That Melody did not mean to imply you had anything to do with Halloran's disappearance, Mr Monroe. But you were her last meeting of the day and I was hoping that you could tell me what that was about."

"I hardly think it appropriate to discuss the company's dealings with anyone not on the board, Mr. Hardy." the man said with a disdainful sniff. "Let alone a gold digging boyfriend." Joe's eyes narrowed and to anyone who knew him, that was a dangerous sign. Even Melody, who smothered a snicker at that comment, privately not disagreeing with the assessment, was smart enough to quickly suppress it and say nothing. It was then that Joe's cell phone rang, breaking the tense standoff.

Joe was both pleased and worried at Frank's report. At least they now knew for certain that she did not leave the office alone. Question was, did she go willingly with whoever she did leave with. After informing his brother they'd be right down, he hung up and tuned back to Monroe. "Tell me this, then, Mr. Monroe. Halloran told me that there were several inconsistencies with the financial records and she was planning on speaking to you about it. If I were to bring in an outside accountant, would there be anything of interest to find?!" Monroe blustered some more and Joe was not sure whether or not that was anger or fear he saw behind those horn rimmed glasses. Joe took a step forward, hands clenched into fists. "I **will** find her, Mr. Monroe. You can count on it. With or without your cooperation. But let me assure you that if you continue to stonewall me, I will get court orders. And if I find out you know something, there is no place on this Earth you are safe. Am I making myself clear?" Joe never raised his voice, never so much as moved a muscle, but Monroe swallowed nervously just the same. Joe nodded, once, and abruptly turned on his heel, forcing Melody to scramble along after him.

They took the stairs, almost at a run. Melody was slightly breathless when they arrived at Frank's side, he having returned to the car. Joe was tense as he approached the car. "Find anything?" he asked his brother. Frank shook his head. "Door's locked, didn't want to break a window." In response, Joe fished out his keys and produced his copy of Hall's car key. He swiftly unlocked it but touched nothing other than the handle. Peering inside, he was disappointed to find there was nothing.

"Her purse isn't here. I wonder..." Joe slipped into the driver's side and slipped the key into the ignition. It turned over with a purr. His shoulder's slumped. " I thought maybe it wouldn't start, and she had walked off somewhere to get a tow."

"Wouldn't she have just gone back inside if that was the case, Joe?" Frank asked gently. He knew Joe may not have been thinking clearly. If anything, Joe slumped even more at the comment. "C'mon," he encouraged. I haven't checked the area around the car yet. Let's do that while we wait for Greg to show." Joe sighed and stood up, leaving the door open as they began searching.

"What are you looking for?" Melody asked to no one in particular. Frank chose to answer.

"Anything out of place in a parking garage. Look for her car keys, her purse. In fact.. try that garbage can over there." He chose not to smile at her grimace of distaste. To her credit, Melody made no comment and started sifting through the contents. But it was Joe who found the first evidence.

"Frank!" Joe's voice was anguished. He was squatting over by a concrete pillar. Both Frank and Melody rushed over at his cry. Frank knelt down, and gasped as he beheld what was in Joe's palm.

"Well?!" Melody spat, irritated. "What is it?!"

"It's the prong from a tazer." Frank's voice was bleak.

**A/n:** _I expect some of you are going WTF?! right about now for a few reasons. Chapter three will be worse. just so you know. However y'all're gonna have ta wait until Friday to see what I mean. _ _Hey, It's something to look forward to! _


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n:** _Feeling unloved, here, people. are you all just way busy with stuff? Am I losing your interest? *sniff* This chapter is pretty long too, Had no idea I had gone on for so long. My husband is always telling me I ramble...He may have a point( just never tell him, he'll get al smug and stuff) Oh yeah, warning: Joe gets a little.. profane here. __  
_

**Chapter Three**

Frank reached out and gently took the tiny, mocking thing out of Joe's nerveless fingers. He passed it to Melody, who allowed it to drop into her cupped hands. "Don't let it out of your sight." he said softly, eyes on his younger brother, who seemed almost catatonic. He gripped Joe's shoulder tightly. Anguished blue eyes met his own worried brown ones. "Don't. Don't think about it. Just take a deep breath, Joe. Concentrate on what this means."

"And just what the hell is that?!" Melody spat out. Frank turned, glaring daggers at her.

"It means that whoever took Hall wanted her alive. And unhurt."

Before Melody could respond, they were interrupted by the sound of an oncoming car. It turned out to be Greg Herndon, in full on Officer Mode. Greg pulled up, and both he and his passenger got out. "Frank, Joe. Chief Riley let me talk him into filing early. This is Pam, from CSI." the woman nodded in silent greeting even as she reached into the trunk to pull out her kit.

Frank squeezed Joe's shoulder before standing up and reaching for Greg's outstretched hand, gripping it firmly. "Thanks, Greg. We owe you big time." he waved a hand in Melody's direction, who brought her prize closer. Pam took one look and grabbed a clear envelope, opening it so that Melody could slide the tazer prong into it. Joe was still crouched, seemingly oblivious. Greg frowned at the blond's lack of interaction.

"He okay?" he whispered to Frank.

"No, he's not. Look Greg, Joe is dangerously close to going off the deep end here. So I apologize in advance for everything he is going to say and do that will piss you off. Cut him some slack. But for Gawd's sake, do not tell him everything is going to be fine." Frank warned his friend. Greg nodded before crouching down in front of the nearly catatonic blond.

"Hey, Buddy." he said softly, almost afraid to disturb Joe. "How you holding up?" Joe blinked, slightly startled as if he had just now noticed that Greg was peering at him intently. He gave a great sigh, and allowed Greg to help him upright.

"I'm here." Joe said in a monotone. Greg glanced in alarm at Frank, who was also taken aback at Joe's uncharacteristic response. They had both more than half expected an explosion of temper complete with wildly gesticulating arms and dire predictions. This quiet, morose automaton before them was throwing them for a loop. Temper tantrums , they could..and did, handle. This, not so much.

It was Melody who broke the standoff as it were. "Why the hell is everyone worried about _him_!" she spat contemptuously. "Halloran is the one that's missing, or did you all forget about her?!" If anything was guaranteed to snap Joe out of it, it was this. He clenched his fists and advanced on her so quickly that Greg was nearly knocked over. The sapphire blue of his eyes were now dark and stormy.

"I will. NOT. Tell. You. Again." he seethed through clenched teeth. "You have no fucking clue so just shut the hell up or stay the hell out of my face." His anger was palpable and Melody had her first glimpse at how deep and explosive his temper could be, and it frightened her. She was by no means a shrinking violet, and could hold her own in any fight, but this.. this was almost primal in its' rage.

"Joe..." Frank called out, half in warning, half in an attempt to calm the blond down. He was used to this aspect of his brother's personality, so was more comfortable trying to handle the situation. "Let's just let them process the scene. I think we could all use something to eat. We'll only be in the way here. Greg," he turned to the young Officer. "You'll call us as soon as you find anything, right?" at Greg's nod, Frank continued. "Then that's settled. This time, I'll drive." He herded Joe away from Melody, grabbing a forearm just a little too tightly to be comfortable. He paid no attention to the tall blond, letting her scramble after the two men hastily. He opened the passenger side door of the SUV, and almost but not quite forced Joe in head first. Without a word, he walked around the front, opened the driver's side and hopped in. He did not give the appearance of dawdling, but somehow he was still futzing around by the time Melody had caught up and sullenly slid into the back seat. Again, the trip was made in silence. Frank was becoming worried about his brother in more ways than one. Aside from the scathing comments to Melody, Joe had been unnaturally subdued; from past experience Frank knew this did not bode well. When Joe was this quiet, it meant he was really in pain..physically or emotionally. He thought back ten years, and recalled how withdrawn and taciturn Joe became after Iola's murder. It had truly scared him, thinking he was about to lose his brother into a deep abyss of depression. He had even half convinced himself that Joe was suicidal, or at least no longer cared about his own safety enough to be careful.

Joe had tipped his head back and closed his eyes. He wasn't asleep, but neither was in giving off any vibes to indicate he was paying any attention at all to the world around him. Melody was vacillating between fuming over the men's attitudes and worrying over Halloran. Frank decided to not even bother asking anyone their opinions on dinner, and drove straight to Prito's. He had to walk around and open Joe's door before his younger sibling showed any sign of life. Still quiet, Joe accepted his brother's outstretched hand and stood. For a moment, he just stared at Frank, a look of desperation, fear and utter terror shining out his eyes. Frank said nothing either, only placing both hands around his brother's face, forcing him to look into his own brown eyes, bright with concern. The silence continued, but it wasn't a tense one. Rather, Frank seemed to be reassuring Joe without words that whatever he needed, Frank would give it to him. Space, platitudes, a swift kick in the rear, anything. Joe blinked back the tears that annoyingly threatened to spill, brought a hand up and gently squeezed his brother's arm in grateful acknowledgement.

Melody was trying(but failing) to suppress her annoyance and it was her ill disguised huff that broke the moment between the two young men. Joe shuddered and broke contact, saying "I'll go and get us a table." he walked away, arms tightly wrapped around his torso. Melody was about to stalk after him, when she was stopped by a gentle grasping of Frank's hand on her arm.

"We need to talk, Melody." he said. The words were simple, bland, not even a hint of the emotion she was sure was lurking there in the background. But there was no mistaking his intentions. The grip on her arm may not be leaving a bruise, but neither was he going to let her go before he had his say.

"Fine. Spit it out." she spoke flatly, begrudgingly.

"Look, for whatever reason, you have decided in your infinite wisdom that not only is Joe not good enough for Hall, I am some sort of arrogant prick myself. Quite frankly, I don't give a damn about either opinion. The first is none of your business. As for the second, well, sorry, toots, but your opinion is irrelevant in my universe. But that is beside the point." Frank paused, giving her a chance to say something witty and scathing. She deigned to remain silent. So he continued. "Ten years ago, somebody tried to send a message to our father; a warning to back off a case he was working on. They planted a bomb in our car. It was meant for one of us, maybe both. But instead, Joe's girlfriend was the one who paid the price. It damn near killed him. It _did_ kill Iola. When I tell you they were in love, I don't mean some high school crush. I mean he had the engagement ring ready to slip on her finger the day they graduated high school together." He paused again, making sure he had her undivided attention. "To say he was devastated is an understatement. It took a long time.. a very long time, before he found someone who could talk him back from the edge. Vanessa was great, but she was casual. I'd go so far as to say she was the rebound girl. They had gone their separate ways long before he enlisted. Then he met Halloran during a bank robbery. I could be cliché and say 'the rest was history' but I won't. What I will tell you is that the light in his eyes that he had for Iola.. he has.. in spades.. for Hall. My brother will move Heaven and Earth to find her. He will die for her if necessary. You have no right to assume the things you have, to make judgements or to make the comments you have. I know you are worried about her. We all are. And if it turns out that her disappearance is related to Joe's line of work, you won't have to castigate him. He'll fall on the sword all by himself. But until then, you aren't doing Halloran any good by pissing off either one of us. If you pull any more stunts, you won't have to worry about what Joe will do. **I** will remove you. Forcibly. You want to help, fine. Help. By _not_ antagonizing the two people most qualified to find her. Are we clear?" the entire time he never so much as raised his voice. It was just as scary, if not more so, than Joe''s earlier display. In spite of herself, Melody was intimidated. Frank did not wait for an answer, but turned and walked into the restaurant.

It was a long time before Melody was composed enough to join them. When she finally got the nerve up to go inside, she found the two brothers in a back corner of the gaily decorated restaurant. A large pizza with what appeared to be every ingredient known to man was on the table in front of them, 2 slices neatly removed and on plates. Neither had been touched otherwise. A tall pitcher of iced tea was also in residence, the ice having melted so much it was now barely brown. Hesitantly she approached. "May I join you?" she asked in a neutral tone of voice. Joe waved to an empty chair. Melody sat down, grabbed her own slice and bit into it. By now it was close to room temperature but she was starving. "You should eat." she said between chews, "Need to keep up your strength." There was no acrimony in her tone, for once.

"She's right, Little Brother." Frank said with a hint of affection. "Can't have you wasting away. Hall will kill me if your pants start falling down around your ankles. You know how much she hates it when Danny dresses like that." Joe gave a strangled sort of half sob, half laugh, but bit into his slice of pizza. The rest of the meal was similarly spent, idle conversation only and a few attempts at humor. They sat there, long after the pizza was gone, alternately silent and chit chatting. Joe nervously checked his cell phone about every 90 seconds, but neither of his companions gave any notice. At one point, Frank's rang; it was Fenton letting them know he had come up empty. Joe took the news surprisingly well. When he saw Melody's frown, he explained.

"Means it's not because of me. Nobody took her to get to to me. So now we can start looking at other possibilities."

"Like what, for instance?" she queried.

It was Frank's turn to speak. "Like maybe she was the target the whole time. In fact, that's more likely than it being random due to the fact that she was taken at the software company." He paused, contemplating. "Didn't you say there were discrepancies in the financial records?" at dual nods, he grew thoughtful. "What if she saw something that would cause someone up to no good to panic?"

Joe grew excited. "Monroe was really giving us a hard time. He acted like a real SOB, spouted off about security protocols and the like, but I thought I saw something else in his eyes, like nervousness, maybe even fear."

Melody disagreed. "Monroe has been with the company since the beginning, he was like Grandpa Andy's best friend in school. I can't see him doing anything to hurt Hallie."

"Mel, one thing I am good at is reading people. For instance, despite the fact that you are a complete pain in the ass, I let you stick around because Hall finds some sort of redeeming quality in you and I trust her judgement." Joe retorted, a hint of his normal personality shining through for a second. "Monroe was hiding something." He glared at her before continuing. "If he was such good pals with her Grandfather, wouldn't he have been bending over backwards to help? He knows what I do for a living and he knows my background, or at least some of it." Here Frank interrupted.

"I agree. Not that Joe would have been able to see anything off in the financial reports anyway." Joe stuck a tongue out at his brother. "But seeing as how we deal with security issues on a daily basis, there should have been a professional courtesy extended. Speaking of which, you think Hall would let Phil and I take a real tour some day?" Frank turned to his brother with a hopeful expression.

"Dude, it's a software company. What's so special about that?" was the response.

"Uhh, Joe, it's not just any software. It's top of the line National Defense stuff. You know how Phil's company manufactures all the gadgets we use, listening devices, trackers, and so on?" at Joe's puzzled nod he continued. 'Well Infotech Software provides the computer programs that can sift through millions of bytes of data and pull out random pieces of information, and ties them all together." Joe continued to look puzzled, it was all Geek to him. Only his brother and his brother's best friend could get excited about stuff like this. Frank patiently tried to explain between bites of the cannoli that had mysteriously appeared at some point. "Remember when we needed to track those embezzled funds while you were laid up? You used to get headaches from sifting through all those Bahamian bank records. Well, the software that Hall's company produces could have done exactly what you did in about 1/5 of the time while you were playing Spider Solitaire." At Joe's grimace as he remembered that case and the frustration he had felt during long hours of fruitless labor, Frank smiled in sympathy.

"So the potential is there for this to be bigger than just Halloran being missing." The words were flat as Joe considered the possibility.

"Maybe. I don't want to see danger where there isn't, we could get side tracked; miss something important." Frank grew thoughtful. "Let's just treat this like we did the last time you got shot...Rescue first, all other considerations secondary." Everyone at the table flashed back to several months ago when a weekend away for Joe and Hall turned into yet another situation that only Joe Hardy could get himself into. You wouldn't think bear poaching and collapsed lungs went together, but Joe found a way to incorporate the two.

Agreement was quickly stated and they spent the next hour or so discussing what steps to take next. Eventually Tony came over and apologetically pointed out that he had closed 30 minutes earlier, everyone else had left and could his employees please clean up so they could get home at a decent hour? With hasty apologies (and a very generous tip) they exited the restaurant. "Now what?" Melody asked.

"It's late, way late. Greg hasn't called, which means they are still processing.. or more likely, shelved it for the night. What say we all do the same." At Joe's imminent protest, Frank held up a hand. " Joe, you know damn well you are dead on your feet and of little use to anybody. You know as well as I that the waiting is inevitable."

"Still sucks ." the blond muttered _sotto voice_. Frank smiled upon hearing that and even Melody twitched a lip in wry amusement. He continued in a normal tone. "Fine. Melody, what about you?"

"I can stay at Hallie's. Besides she might show up." No one really believed that, but neither man chose to disabuse her of the notion. "I have a few days of vacation I can take, and they can just suck it up. It's off season anyway and maybe this will convince my Boss to get off his ass and replace Travis finally."

Frank turned to his brother. "Do you want to stay with me? It''ll have to be the couch, but..." he left it open ended. Joe shook his head.

"Nahh. I'll be fine." (_Bullshit._) Frank thought but said nothing. They dropped Melody off first with the promise to be back first thing on the morning and the demand that if anything happened to call them immediately. But as they pulled back into the parking lot of the Agency, Joe hesitated. Instead of immediately unlocking the door and getting out, he sat there. Finally, unable to stand the oppressive silence any longer, Frank spoke.

"Want me to come up and hang out for a while?" The grateful look Joe gave him nearly broke his heart. They walked up the short flight of stairs, Joe in the lead. He unlocked the door, opened it then stood aside to let Frank precede him.

Joe ambled toward the kitchen, calling out over his shoulder "Coffee?"

"Only if it's decaf." Frank chuckled when he heard his brother's low muttered _Heathen_. He made himself comfortable on the couch and settled in for what he expected to be an all night outpouring of emotion. Joe walked in with a tray, two mugs of what appeared to be green tea and a package of Pecan Sandies well past their expiration date. "Since when do you drink tea, let alone green tea?"

Joe shrugged. "Drank it in Japan. Sort of gave it up when I got back but Halloran drinks it so now I always have some on hand." He set the tray down and handed his brother a mug before sitting down himself and opening the cookies. He offered the package to his brother who shook his head mutely. "Suit yerself." and he bit down. Frank laughed at the grimace on his brother's face when he realized they were beyond stale.

"So," Frank said. "Ya wanna talk?" he left it up to Joe what, if anything, to share. Sometimes his brother didn't want to discuss deeper emotions, feeling that it made him vulnerable. He was pretty sure this was not one of those times, however. He was right.

Joe struggled to find the words. "If..if something happens to her, Frank..I.." he stopped, afraid to continue.

"Just come out with it, Little Brother."

"It would kill me." He said simply. And Frank knew he meant it in the literal sense and not as a figure of speech.

**A/n: **_did I shock you there? I really don't think this is OOC for Joe, he's always been more emotionally attached, and less logical overall. Not to say he's incapable of rational thought, but that he prefers to go on instinct and emotion instead. Next update on Monday, which will probably be the only one all week. My first time cooking a whole turkey by myself. I usually end up eating at somebody else's and just bring the pumpkin pie..._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n:** _bet you are all worried about how Frank handles the revelation of last chapter. welp: worry no longer. He's still the Big brother, over protective as hell, but has learned to temper that somewhat. You should all be very proud of him. Even if he doesn't whap Melody upside the head(yet) __  
_

**Chapter Four**

Frank knew he had to tread very carefully here. On the one hand, he wanted to reassure and comfort Joe. Tell him that everything was going to be fine and that Halloran would be found safe. On the other, he knew he had to treat Joe's statement as fact. Any attempt to down play it, or act as if Joe wasn't serious, would backfire. And he knew Joe was serious. There was something in the calm, detached way he spoke the words that said Joe meant it. "Joe, please..." he pleaded.

Joe's face crumpled and the tears began to fall fast and free. "I'm sorry, Frank. I know that I am scaring you. Hell, I am scaring myself. But I can't go through that again. I just..can't." Joe did his own pleading. Frank moved from his spot on the couch and crouched in front of his brother, who by now had his head in his hands and was shaking with suppressed sobs. Frank pulled him into a tight embrace. That opened the floodgates and Joe no longer tried to control it.

They sat they way a long time. Frank went numb in all the wrong places. Joe continued to let all his emotions run rampant, not caring about image or what his brother may think of him. He babbled incoherently, but Frank got the gist of it. Joe was afraid he would never be able to come back from the deep abyss that he was plunged into once before. Couldn't bear the thought of facing the rest of his life without Halloran, and not even his family or his beloved brother would be able to fill the emptiness.

All Frank could do was let him ramble on. He had no words of wisdom, or advice. He wasn't even sure he could trust himself to say anything appropriate. His thoughts strayed back to the time where he had nearly ruined their relationship permanently due to his own actions. The last thing he wanted to do was come close to repeating that.

Eventually, Joe collapsed in exhaustion. He wasn't quite asleep but could no longer keep up any pretense of conversation. "I don't know what to say, Little Brother." Frank said softly, still holding Joe close although by now he had shifted so that his long legs were splayed out under the coffee table and Joe was now leaning against his shoulder. "I can tell you that you will never have to go through it alone, if it should come to that. I can even tell you you have nothing to worry about and we'll find her and all these worse case scenarios are just a waste of energy. Just not sure you'd listen." the response was a hiccup and a feeble bat of a hand against his chest. "You're exhausted. Why don't you try and get some rest." Frank deliberately chose not to say 'sleep' as he knew it would be futile. He eased out from under his brother's form and stood up, twisting as he did so to offer a hand up. Joe took it and as he stood upright he pulled Frank into a rough embrace.

"I don't deserve you, you know that?" Joe whispered huskily his voice still thick with tears. "Anybody else would have given up on me years ago."

"Yeah, well, you made sure I remembered what was important once, so I guess I owed you." Frank smiled fondly at his about-to-keel-over sibling. "C'mon, let's get you into bed." They stumbled into Joe's bedroom, where Frank helped divest him of his clothes and got him under the covers. "I'll be out on the couch if you need anything." Joe nodded sleepily, burrowing deeper under the down comforter.

It was very late, after 11pm, But Frank called his father anyway, knowing that Fenton would still be up. "Hey, Dad. Nothing new to report, just wanted to let you know I am with Joe. He's not doing so well. I don't think he should be alone right now." As Fenton's concerned voice came over the airwaves. Frank shook his head even though he knew his father couldn't see. "No, he's not violent. Quite the opposite in fact, he's nearly paralyzed with fear." Fenton asked what he meant by that.

"It's like when Iola died, Dad. Only worse. Ten years ago he was still mostly innocent, a lot less jaded. It took a while, but his natural ebullience resurfaced. Now, I'm not so sure he could bounce back again if Hall..." he stopped, unable to say the words out loud. Fenton told Frank to get some rest and see how Joe was in the morning. After a quick 'Goodnight' to his father, Frank tidied up a little, bringing the tea mugs back into the kitchen, placing them in the sink. He tossed the cookies. But soon enough he was snuggled under the afghan that Joe had stolen from the chest in what used to be Aunt Gertrude's room at the family home. It took only moments and he was asleep.

Frank awoke to the intoxicating smell of freshly brewed coffee, Navy Style. In spite of the situation, his mouth watered at the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg. It was one thing Joe did better than even their mother in the kitchen. He shuffled into the kitchen, accepting the cup with a smile and an appreciative sniff. "Did you get any sleep at all?" he asked.

"Surprisingly, I did." Joe sounded better. Not bouncing off the walls with excess energy, mind you, but certainly less morose than the previous night. "What about you?"

"Your couch is surprisingly comfy." Joe laughed and agreed.

"More than once I have sat down to watch the news and suddenly found myself sleeping all night on it."

"I bet." Frank spooned a teaspoon of sugar into his coffee and savored every sip.

"Breakfast?" Joe asked. "Of course, all I can offer is instant oatmeal as there is no milk in the fridge, only a science experiment." Here Joe chuckled wryly. "Cleaned out the fridge of nearly everything else. Was hoping to go grocery shopping today." he trailed off and his smile faded.

"Uhh, no thanks, you know I loathe oatmeal." Frank grimaced. "Why don't we grab something on the way to the Police Station instead?"

"Good idea. I've already showered. Why don't you make yourself all pretty and I'll call Melody. Maybe Dad, too." Joe suggested. Frank agreed and drained the last of his coffee and headed off into the bathroom.

Joe aimlessly set about cleaning the few dishes. It was mostly coffee mugs from last night and this morning. His phone rang while Frank was still scrubbing away. "Hi, Dad. I'm fine." he answered without waiting for the other person to speak.

"You sure about that?" came his father's voice over the airwaves. "Frank isn't so sanguine."

Joe sighed. "I know, and he's probably more right than I want to admit." Joe's voice dropped. " I am not sure how to explain, Dad. I need Halloran in my life. These last 3 weeks were hell on me. Not being able to even text her, let alone hear her voice. It made me realize that I can't live without her. And then to come home and have her be gone?!" Joe's voice cracked.

"I know it's a stupid question, but are you sure you can handle this case, Son?" Fenton asked. "Maybe you should take a step back; let your brother and Sam take care of things."

"Absolutely _not_." Joe cried. "I'd never forgive myself. Besides, have you met Melody?! I try something as asinine as that and she'll flay me alive. Not anxious to repeat the experience, even if she can't get her hands on a Cat o' Nine tails," he continued with black humor. Even his father had to chuckle at the reference.

"If you're sure. But if it gets to be too much, no one will think less of you."

"Except Melody."

"Melody knows damn well what _**I**_ will do to her if she continues to harass you, Little Brother." Frank's sudden appearance caused Joe to jump in surprise. "I'm still the Big Brother, I have my rights."

Joe quickly signed off with his father before looking at Frank, confused. "Say wha? What rights?"

"The right to dictate who exactly beats up on you. That's my job, and no one else's." Frank smiled fondly at his younger sibling.

"Gee, I feel so loved," Further conversation was interrupted by the ringing once again of Joe's cell phone. "Melody. Was just about to call and say we were on our way. Be there in 20." he didn't bother to wait for a reply and hung up immediately. Frank just quirked an eyebrow. "Not really in the mood to deal with her right now."

"You know she's gonna scream at you in person now..." Frank stopped when Joe shook his head.

"Nuh uh. Didn't you just promise to keep the Big Bad She Dragon away from me?!" The grin was a shadow of its' usual smirk, but it was there.

Frank knew he had trapped himself on all fronts, so he just gave an exaggerated sigh of resignation and poured the remainder of the coffee into a travel mug. There wasn't enough for Joe who groused a little before perking up at the suggestion of a side trip to the donut shop.

They arrived at Halloran's cozy home to find Melody outside, tapping a foot impatiently. With an obvious glance at her watch, she walked to the back passenger door of the SUV and slid in. "20 minutes, huh?" she said pointedly but without any real acrimony. Joe said nothing, as his mouth was full of donut, but he did hand her a cup of coffee and the bag so she could choose her own pastry. She accepted with thanks and asked "So where to now?"

Frank answered, more to keep the interior of his car donut crumb free than any other reason. "The Precinct. Greg Herndon just called. He wants to go over the Lab results and other reports." The rest of the drive was spent discussing the semantics of calling it a keklie or a long john. Joe insisted it was a keklie, while Melody maintained it was a long john. Both had turned to Frank to break the stalemate. He refused to fall into their cunning trap. He successfully avoided getting sucked in along the way and breathed a silent sigh of relief when they pulled into the visitor parking lot of the Bayport Police Department.

Within moments they were inside and being ushered into one of the smaller conference rooms. Greg Herndon was there, looking slightly tired. "I have good news and I have bad news."

Joe sighed. "Bad news first, then."

"The car was clean, the only prints are yours and Halloran's. Her purse was not in the car nor anywhere near it. Her iPhone does not have GPS enabled."

"That'll be rectified" Joe muttered under his breath darkly.

Greg pretended he hadn't heard as he continued. "Also, unfortunately, there's been zero activity on credit cards, bank accounts or anything else of that nature. So we can't do any tracking that way.

"And the good news?" Frank interjected.

"No Jane Doe's matching Halloran's description in any hospital or morgue within a 50 mile radius. Her house hasn't been broken into, her car was not destroyed or moved elsewhere. No ransom note or calls."

"That's not necessarily a good thing, Herndon, and you know it." Joe's moroseness had returned. The young Officer conceded the point.

"Okay, yeah, but no news sometimes is good news, you know. Plus we did some further checking on past cases. Your father is right, it's extremely unlikely that this is a revenge thing or a get even plot. So you can quit beating yourself up on that score." Joe scoffed lightly, but did look a little more cheerful.

"So where do we go from here?" Melody spoke up for the first time.

"We go back to where this all began." Joe stated with conviction. "Monroe is hiding something I just know it. Any chance we can get a warrant to get a hold of those financial records?" he continued hopefully.

Greg shook his head. "Almost certainly no. Not enough cause to do so." Joe slumped, not really expecting another answer but hoping anyway.

"Greg could you, uhh, excuse us a minute?" Frank interjected. "And uhh, maybe make sure that we are left completely alone?" he tipped his head towards the ubiquitous mirror on the back wall, knowing that it was a two way one. Greg raised his eyebrow so high it was comical, but after a second he grinned knowingly, if a trifle resignedly and nodded.

Melody looked confused. Joe smirked a little and answered the unspoken question. "My stick in the mud Big Brother is going to propose a little breaking and entering; aren't you?"

"It's not breaking and entering. You have Hall's key's right?" at Joe's nod, he continued. "And it's her office building, right?" Joe nodded again, this time with the smirk playing about his lips. He knew where his brother was headed in this line of questioning but wanted to see Melody's reaction. She didn't disappoint.

"You want to go back there and get a hold of those records without going through legal channels." she said it flatly, unsure whether to be appalled or amused.

Frank nodded once. "Yup. Pretty sure we won't have to worry about the owner of the company pressing charges, either."

Here Joe took up the rationale. "Look, Mel. We have to find out what Halloran saw in those records. It's probably the reason she was taken. I know you are convinced Monroe has nothing to do with it, but I'm not. Even old family friends can turn on you." Melody still wasn't convinced but decided to hold her tongue for the moment. Finding Halloran was more important.

The Trio got up out of their chairs and filed out of the conference room one at a time. Greg met them as they were leaving the Precinct. "Should I warn the Chief about anything, Gentlemen?" he asked deceptively mildly. Joe looked at him, an expression of shocked disbelief on his face, made comical by the grin that immediately followed it.

"Why whatever could you mean, Officer Herndon?!" he cried, trying unsuccessfully to contain the giggle.

Greg returned his own grin. "Just.. be careful, okay, Guys? And call me if you run into anything you can't handle by yourselves. _Before_ somebody gets shot." with a final wave, he headed down the hall.

Joe turned to his brother and his girlfriend's best friend. "C'mon. We have work to do." he didn't wait for an answer and headed out toward the SUV. The other two hastened after him. The trip to Infotech was spent discussing how to best accomplish the task of obtaining the information they required. Joe deftly pulled into the parking spot and shifted in the seat so that he could look both in the eyes. "So, everybody know what to do?" He got dual nods in return. "Right. Then let's get started."

**A/n: **_ Thou Art Forewarned: no more updates this week. _ _M__aybe over the weekend but far more likely not until Monday._ _Stupid me didn't buy the wet brine solution 2 weeks ago when I saw it and every William's Sonoma in the BWI triangle was out yesterday. Commence Plan B! also, great philosophical conversations about regional names for items have long been a passion for me. I have relatives in the Deep South as well as the Midwest and Northeast, so I have had many an argument concerning Pop versus Soda and Long John versus Keklie. (we all do agree, however, that eclair is appropriate if there is custard in the middle.. or is that pudding?!) Happy Thanksgiving for those of you in America that celebrate it! _


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n: ** _ So, everybody eat too much over the weekend? I'd like to say I had a nice relaxing holiday but I'd be lying. Hubby ended up being called into work every day, including Sat and Sun. I did manage to see Breaking Dawn pt 2 though, so it wasn't a total loss. Yes, I do Sparkly Vampires. Please don't think less of me. Otherwise I will pout and not post any more chapters. _

_**Chapter Five**_

They broke ranks as they got out of the SUV, each with a task to accomplish. Joe was to get his hands on the personnel records, Frank was to get into both Halloran's and Monroe's offices and search for the financial records and Melody was to go around idly engaging people in conversation looking for, for lack of a better term, gossip.

Surprisingly, Frank had the easiest time of the three. Monroe was nowhere to be found, and according to Karen at Reception, had not even been in at all that morning. Alice was only too eager to assist and even helpfully pointed out which file cabinets were the most likely candidates in both offices. Joe had stopped by Security to get the names of the people who had driven out of the garage between Halloran's last sighting and the end the day, with Todd being most thorough in his notes. Getting the personnel records of those individuals was only a matter of turning on the charm, something he did naturally even as his heart was breaking. Melody had the least successful morning, and no one was (privately) sure if it was because of her naturally abrasive personality, or that there was no information to be found. After all, Halloran was not yet well known; in fact it came as a complete shock to more than one lower level employee that there had been a change of ownership.

They met back up a little before lunch, Frank and Joe each laden down with paperwork and Melody laden down with a scowl. The quickly decided to stop by Five Guys to pick up burgers and fries on their way to the Office, where they promptly began spreading all the papers over every flat surface available. Fenton joined Frank in going over the myriad of financial documents, while Joe and Mel tackled the personnel records. The only sounds were the rustling of papers the occasional scratch of a pen and a few short murmured conversations.

The afternoon dragged on until the silence was broken by a growl from Frank. "Arrgh!" he exclaimed. "This is driving me nuts!" The other three people in the room raised eyebrows in eerie harmony. The usually unflappable Franklin Paul Hardy? Expressing frustration? Over _paperwork_?! Fenton pushed his glasses back up his nose from where they had slipped down as he straightened up, grimacing a little at the kinks.

"Frank?" he asked. "Care to be more specific?"

"I can tell there is _something_ wrong. I just can't tell _what_." Frank's voice was heavy with frustration.

"Way to be vague, Big Brother." Joe smirked. He got a pointed look in return.

"Your brother is right, Joe. I see it.. or rather, _almost_ see it too." Fenton interjected. "There's some very creative accounting going on, but I can't tell if anything illegal is going on. You need to be a CPA to make heads or tails of it."

"Halloran is a CPA, dad." Joe responded. "So she must have seen something and made the connection." His face darkened. "Monroe is too, so _he_ saw it as well."

"Question is, is Monroe the one behind it, or is he covering for someone else?" Frank mused. "Melody, even you have to admit is was damned convenient that Monroe wasn't at Infotech today." Melody shrugged, unwilling as yet to admit the possibility. "Do you have anything, Joe?"

"Maybe. And it's more a gut feeling than anything else." At everyone's encouragement, he continued. "Well, it was near the end of the work day. So there was a lot of traffic exiting the first hour or so. But after that, there were only three cars that left. Albert Monroe left about 6. late, but not terribly so. The second was the Security Guard who got off shift at 7. He left about 730 ish. But the last one.. was after 9 pm, long after everyone else had done so and just so happened that it was during the Night Guard's scheduled perimeter walk."

"Interesting." Fenton commented, hand stroking his chin. "Timed just so, to avoid being watched on the camera feed?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Well?!" Melody exclaimed impatiently. "Who was it?!"

Joe pawed through the disheveled pile of files he had strewn haphazardly around him before frowning. "That's weird."

"What is, Son?" Fenton asked.

"According to Todd, the car belongs to one Tyler Cavenaugh. But there isn't a personnel file for him..." Joe looked up to see identical looks of puzzlement on everyone else's face. "I'm going back there, see if I can find out what the deal is. Will you keep at it here?" The look he gave his father and brother was pleading.

"Of course, Joseph. In fact I have an idea. " Fenton smiled slightly but spoke no further. After a beat, Joe shrugged and grabbed his coat.

"I'll be back shortly." he said as he walked out the door. He was halfway to the SUV when melody caught up to him,slightly breathless.

"Mind if I tag along?" she asked hesitantly. "I suck at numbers." Joe just looked at her before opening the passenger side door. He closed it behind her then went around the front and got in on the driver's side. The drive was silent for the first few miles until she cleared her throat. "Umm, can I ask a question without getting my head bit off?" she asked with a hint of a challenge.

"I make no promises, but depends on the subject." Joe's voice was curt, but devoid of any overt emotion.

"Where's the Impala?"

Joe snorted. That was one question he never would have thought of as coming from her. "In Halloran's garage. No way in hell was I going to leave it in long term parking at the airport. Besides, I made her a promise. The car is strictly off limits on the job.. no stake outs, no high speed chases, no chance at being sabotaged to explode." Joe's grip as he said that last tightened so much that his fingers became white as snow.

Melody did something then that surprised even her. She gently laid a hand on his thigh. "Sorry. Didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Joe glanced over at her for a moment before returning his concentration to the road. Then he gave a short, somewhat bitter laugh.

"Frank told you." he said, flatly.

"He read me the riot act. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not convinced you are good for Hallie. But at least he gave me something to think about."

"He does that. You know, he's not that bad. I may pick on him and tease him, but you should let go of whatever prejudice you have and try and get to know him a little better. He's been protecting me and looking out for me since we were still in diapers. That kind of loyalty and love has to count for something." he continued, mildly reproving.

"I wouldn't know." Melody spoke so quietly, Joe wasn't sure he heard her correctly. But before he could quiz her on that statement, they found themselves at their destination. They quickly made their way inside, where Todd asked hopefully if they was any progress. He expressed disappointment at hearing the negative answer, but suggested that they go directly to the Software department instead of the personnel Office.

The Software department was on the floor directly below the executive offices of the company. It was your typical cubicle set up out of any telemarketing corporation although instead of hundreds of people with headphones chatting away trying to sell people overpriced time shares, there were only about two dozen people typing away furiously. Some did have headphones, but they were blasting everything from Christian Rock to Hip Hop into their wearer's ears. The two stood there, somewhat at a loss as it did not appear as if anyone had even noticed their arrival. Eventually, after a minute or two , someone did the stand up and stretch thing and stopped short as they saw Joe and Melody standing there awkwardly. The woman came out from her cubicle and approached them.

"Can I help you?" she asked, cooly.

"Yeah. I'm Joe Hardy, and this is Melody Harper. We're investigating Halloran Jacobs' disappearance from this building the other night." He deliberately left out the whole Boyfriend/best friend angle. "In our research, we can across a name of one of your employees, but there is no corresponding record in HR."

The woman crossed her arms and asked "Name?" her voice was decidedly neutral; while there was no overt hostility or even fear, Joe couldn't help but think their presence was unwanted.

"Tyler Cavenaugh." The woman made a noise that was a cross between a sniff, a harrumph and snort of derision.

"You won't either. Tyler wasn't an employee. He was a contractor." from the sounds of it, this woman was glad to be rid of the man.

"What's the difference?" Melody asked. The woman appraised Mel and Joe for a while before seemingly making a decision.

"Let's discuss this in the break room. I was headed there for a cup of coffee anyway." She led the way to a tiny, sterile looking room that held a refrigerator, a counter that held a microwave, a toaster oven and a full size, 4 pot industrial coffee machine. There were two battered and beaten round tables as well, each with 4 or 5 chairs clustered around them. The white of the tables could hardly be seen under the graffiti that littered them. Upon closer inspection, Joe realized that most of the markings were software coding writing in anything from ball point pen to Sharpie. (_Geeks, every last one. Maybe I should have let Frank come_.)

She offered each coffee. Joe accepted, Melody declined. The woman sat down and finally introduced herself. "I'm Mary Parker. I'd say I was in charge of the Software department but that would be like saying you were in charge of a large population of stray cats. What do you know about how things work here?"

"Not a damn thing, although I wish I had." Joe growled. Mary smiled and continued.

"Heh. Andy said you were feisty. He was right." her smile grew wider as Joe realized that she knew more than she was letting on. "Andy Jacobs was a rare employer/boss. He trusted his people to do their job, and do it well, and never tried to micromanage or even how tell us how to do stuff he had no idea how worked in the first place. But at the same time he was down here every day, asking us if we needed anything, how our personal lives were, etc and etc. He positively doted on Halloran, and was over the moon when it seemed like she met a nice young man so soon after moving to Bayport. Would it surprise you to learn he had me run a background check on you the day after the Bank robbery?" she laughed out loud at the look on Joe's face. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

She sat back, contemplating how to continue. "Okay, this is how it works. There are 18 full time programmers that are employees at Infotech. Our job is to produce the bare bones software that can be tweaked for each client's individual needs. You'd be surprised at how much coding is the same whether you are talking about a video game or a inventory control program. But each client's needs are going to be specific. Most of the time they provide us with their own techs to come over and work with us to produce the desired software. They are on loan, so to speak and paid by the client. Hence, no HR records of them at Infotech. Oh, sure, their cars get registered so Security can keep track, but not much more than that. 99% of the time, they are here for a few weeks and once the project is completed, off they go back to their company." She paused and drained her coffee mug. She refilled it before continuing her narrative. "We do have other security protocols in place, after all some of our clients are pretty anal about leaks. No iPhones or other devices that can record can be brought into the building. This place is littered with old school personal CD players so that we can listen to music without disturbing others. No portable hard drives or USBs allowed in or out. Stuff like that. So it is rare that we ever have reason to be concerned. But Tyler..."

Joe leaned forward, eager to hear more. "Go on!" he encouraged.

She sighed deeply before continuing. "We all have expense reports. Some of them are covered by Infotech, others the client. Things like overtime, office supplies, even computer time. Stuff like that. As the lead Programmer, I am supposed to initial any such requests for funds. It seemed to me that Tyler had an awful lot of them. I could never find any reason to deny the requests, but for a guy who supposedly had one project going on, it did seem excessive. Plus there was the fact that he wasn't actually sent over by the client at all. That in and of itself was odd. I can count on one hand the number of times we brought in a complete outsider. We can handle just about any programming need out there between the 18 of us. So it was kind of weird when Mr Monroe brought Tyler down one afternoon and told him he was to work on a current project." Mary shook her head and fell silent, figuring there would be questions. She wasn't wrong.

Giving Melody a _very _significant look, Joe asked Mary "Did Monroe often do that?"

the woman shook her head. "Never before. I asked him about it and he just said it was a special case and to let it go. I admit, I was suspicious big time. Luckily the project he was assigned was none of our DoD or NSA contracts, only a smaller client who needed a new inventory tracking software package. At first he was pretty quiet, just seemed eager to jump in and immerse himself in the work. He did decent work, I had no fault with his skills or even his work ethic. After about a month or so, he seemed to loosen up a little, began spending more time in the break room with the rest of us, even went out for drinks with the gang once or twice. Right about then is when I noticed he was submitting an inordinate amount of financial requests. Plus it seemed to me that the project itself was taking much longer than it should have been, considering the fairly banal nature. A simple Inventory control program should really only take a few weeks, tops. He'd been here almost 6 months."

"I'd like to talk to Mr Cavenaugh. Right now." Joe growled dangerously.

"You're too late. Monday afternoon he came into the break room when I was there and told me that his time here was at an end and he would not be back."

"What time did he come in and say that?" Melody asked intently.

"I dunno, maybe about 330, 4 ish? It was near the end of the day. I left soon after and I am usually gone by 430 so I can pick my daughter up from daycare at 5."

Melody and Joe looked at one another, and Joe could tell she was at least considering the implications. "That would put it at the end of he meeting Hall had with Monroe. About the discrepancies." Melody said softly.

" Which means Monroe could have tipped off Cavenaugh right after." Joe's eyes narrowed as he spat out the words in a guttural voice. "What was his attitude, Mary? Did he seem nervous, or upset?"

"Hmm. Come to think of it , he did look a little cagey. Fidgeted a lot, wouldn't look me in the eye, whereas before that was never a problem with him."

Abruptly, Joe stood up, causing the chair to skitter backward noisily. "I am going to have it out with Monroe this minute!"

"But, Joe, he's not here!" Melody exclaimed.

"I'll get his address from HR. Thanks, Mary. You've been a big help."

"I hope you find her, Joe. She takes after her grandfather in a lot of ways." Mary shook their hands and returned to her cubicle. Joe stormed out of the room and stalked down to the elevator. Melody had to rush to join him before the doors closed. The prim, middle aged guardian of the Personnel records was less eager to hand over Monroe's address than she had been earlier that day but eventually decided that the look in Joe's eyes meant he wasn't going to take 'No' for an answer. Joe thanked her with a grim smile and once again rushed out of the office and towards the elevator, Melody puffing along behind.

When they got to the SUV, Joe called his brother and relayed what he had learned. Frank told him that gave him something to focus on now and he'd get right on it. Joe signed off, then turned the key over and headed out towards the address he had obtained. The drive was silent. He didn't even turn the radio on. Melody observed him surreptitiously, not quite turning her head to stare at him as he paid inordinate attention to the road. In her experience, Joe normally tended to be very gregarious, holding conversations with anyone and everyone in the car. If not that, then the music would be blaring and he'd be singing along, sometimes in key. This quiet, intense Joe Hardy was an enigma. His sudden question caused her to jump out of her skin.

"How well do you know Monroe?" he asked tightly.

Melody considered. "I know that he and Grandpa Andy were best friends for forever. High School, maybe before that. About the only thing they didn't do was serve together in the military. He was always around, spent most of the holidays with the Jacobs family. I got the impression he had none of his own. He treated Hallie and Mark like niece and nephew. That's why it's so hard to fathom that he could be in any way responsible or involved." Joe merely grunted. He was certain Monroe was involved somehow.

Joe remained silent the rest of the trip, which took another twenty minutes or so. He pulled into the driveway of a small, rather shabby but well kept house on the outskirts of Bayport. The car that had been identified as Monroe's by Todd was parked in the long driveway. The brand new BMV seemed out of place in front of the faded paint and sagging eaves of the house. Joe deliberately blocked the Beemer, hoping to prevent an escape attempt.

Joe skipped up the steps and rang the doorbell. After a minute, the door opened to reveal a very worn out looking Albert Monroe. He was disheveled, in a faded pair of jeans and stained tee shirt. His feet were bare and he hadn't shaved. His startled reaction at seeing who was at the door quickly led to a shake of the head and a small, if bitter, laugh. "I'm not even going to ask how you found me. Halloran said you were good." he stepped back and aside, gesturing for them to enter." He shut the door behind them, then walked around to lead them into the small living room. "Have you found her?"

"No." Joe said, tightly, angrily. "But you already knew that, didn't you."

Monroe sighed, not angry or even defensive. He looked for all the world like a tired old man who had lost everything. "I never laid a hand on her, Joe. I wouldn't hurt her. I loved her grandfather too much to do anything like that." The way he said it, simply, matter of factly and with no attempt at justification or defense gave Joe pause. He almost believed the old man. _Almost_.

"Who is Tyler Cavenaugh?" was all he said, arms crossed and leaving no doubt that he expected an answer. Monroe gaped at him for a good thirty seconds before shaking himself out of his stupor. His shoulders slumped even more if that were possible. He sat down heavily in an armchair that had seen better days and placed his head in his hands.

"My nephew," was the muffled reply. "You think he has her, don't you?"

"You tell me" Joe growled even as Melody gasped with the revelation. She felt sorry for the old man, whom she had known much of her life. She knelt down next to him, and placed a hand on his knee.

"Please, Uncle Bert. You have to help. Grandpa Andy would want you to." That seemed to anger the old man a little.

"Don't you lay a guilt trip on me, young lady!" he huffed.

"Mr Monroe you either start talking right now, or I am afraid I am going to prove Melody right and do something I should regret, but probably won't." Joe's voice was low and guttural. "You know something, and dammit you are going to tell me everything you do know. This isn't the Frantic Boyfriend talking, this is the Private Investigator. When the Boyfriend takes over, there will be blood. Am I making myself perfectly clear?!"

Monroe raised his head out from behind his hands and looked Joe straight in the eye without flinching. "You really do love her, don't you?" he said, mostly to himself. Joe responded by leaning _very_ close in.

"I will kill for her if necessary." the words chilled Melody but at the same time she couldn't help but wish someone cared about her enough to say them about her. "Now spill!"

Monroe sat up straight and gave a little shake. "Melody, could you please get us something to drink from the kitchen? I am afraid this may take a bit and my throat is parched." Joe looked at Mel and nodded, silently telling her to do as she had been asked. She wasted no time, pouring three large glasses of iced tea from a pitcher in the fridge. She brought them out on a small tray and placed it on the coffee table before sitting down on the floor between the two men, who had not moved.

"Where do I begin?" Monroe started, rhetorically. At Joe's dirty look, he hastily continued. "About 6 months ago, my sister called me and said she needed me to give Tyler a job at Infotech. At first I had tried explaining that we had no full time openings in the software department, and besides, Andy had final say on all new hires. Well, she laid the guilt trip on pretty thick, and I guess I felt I owed her. You see, when I came out forty years ago, the only two people who stuck by me was my baby sister and Andy." he paused, taking a sip before continuing on, a wistful look in his faraway gaze. "In my day, you either lied to yourself and everyone around you, or you were quite literally shunned. I was Excommunicated, blacklisted from all family events, the whole nine yards. I got kicked out the house not three minutes after I said the words in front of my Father. Wasn't even allowed to pack a suitcase. Lizzie was still at school, so I never got to say good bye. She found me about a month later. I had been crashing at a few shelters and she tracked me down. Through the years, she would send me letters, tell me all the family gossip, even snuck me into the hospital to say good by to Mama when she was dying. Once in a while she'd send me money, too. When Andy got discharged, Lizzie was the one who told him what had happened and he found me as well. Offered to split an apartment with me. I got out of the shelters and started a real life. Went to college, became a CPA. Of course I went back into the closet and any ..dalliances.. were very discreet. Lizzie sent me a wedding invitation. I showed up to the church, stayed in the very back. She saw me at one point, and once I knew that, I left. No one else in the family ever saw me." Melody's hand once again rested on a knee in sympathy. Joe remained unmoved but the slow boil that had been threatening to erupt had subsided to a simmer.

"The next ten or fifteen years were spent building Infotech from the ground up, and occasionally hearing from Lizzie. Somehow, our Father found out she had been in touch with me all this time. He promptly cut her off. The Will was re written so that our brother George got everything. George was the baby, he'd been brought up literally not knowing I existed. Brainwashed into Dad's way of thinking. They had been depending on Dad's sufferance. Jack, Lizzie's husband , worked for my Dad but got fired when he found out about what Lizzie had been doing all these years. So I helped them out a little. Not much, we were still pretty broke, the company was just then taking off and most of our contracts were very small. I guess Lizzie thought it wasn't enough, hence the phone call last spring." he drained the last of the glass and absently handed it to Melody, who took the hint and got refills all around.

Monroe continued. "I finally relented, when Andy went into the Nursing home. I knew at that point I could make any changes and it wouldn't be noticed. Mary wasn't happy about my insistence, but she reluctantly did as I asked. The contact I gave Tyler was bogus. Made it all up myself. Funny part was, he actually produced a viable software program. So I began to think that maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all. I could keep feeding him fake projects. He'd be gainfully employed, keep my sister off my back."

"A fake contract? Mary said there were lots of money requests, too many, in fact. So he was embezzling?! And you _let him get away with it_?!" Joe's voice rose with righteous indignation.

"No No No!" Monroe hastily spoke. That's not how it was at all!"

"Sure looks that way to us. My father and my Brother have been going over the same financial records that you and Halloran were discussing the night she disappeared. She saw something, didn't she?! And so did you!"

Monroe seemed to collapse. "I never let him do anything. I suppose it could be argued that I looked the other way, though. Pretended that it wasn't going on. It wasn't that much money. Less than $50 thousand over the last 6 months. Barely noticeable in the bottom line. The company could lose it and not run into problems."

"That's not the damn _point_ Uncle Bert!" Melody was appalled. "Stealing is stealing, whether it's five bucks or five million!" Joe found himself agreeing with her wholeheartedly.

"And that's exactly what Halloran told me. Told me she expected me to fire my nephew and that my retirement would be announced at the end of the week. She was more disappointed than angry. Said I could keep my pension, and all the shares in the company. But the worst part was when she said she was glad Andy wasn't here to see what I had done." At this point, Monroe broke down. It took a few minutes, Joe fuming, Melody less so, before he was able to continue.

"As soon as Halloran left my office, I called Tyler in. Told him that his antics had been discovered and that he was done. Said he needed to clean out his stuff immediately and that he should consider himself lucky she wasn't interested in pressing charges against either of us. I thought.. well I thought he went quietly."

"You thought wrong, Monroe. Now where is my girlfriend?!" The blue in Joe's eyes was hard as diamonds.

"I honestly do not know, Joe, and that is the God's Honest Truth. Lizzie won't tell me anything, she's pissed that Tyler got fired even after I explained what he had done, and what I let him get away with. She thinks I still owe her and that I should have bought Halloran off or something."

"So instead of coming clean, and helping us find her, you take the coward's way out and hide away? Is that it?!" Joe was going at full volume now and Melody tried ineffectually to pull him away from the now cowering old man. "Do you have any idea how much time has been wasted! We could have been hunting Cavenaugh down! I could have found her by now you bastard!" Joe pulled back a fist and would have followed through if Melody hadn't grabbed it and hung all her weight on his arm. It was barely enough, and all it really did was throw Joe off balance. It did, however serve to break Joe out of his rage.

"Stop it, Joe!" Melody screamed. "We don't know for sure that Tyler does have Hallie! And even if he does your going ballistic isn't going to help find her either!" She stood toe to toe, both hands gripping his arms tightly as she shook him. It took a minute but the blind rage in his eyes faded although his face remained flushed. He took a very deep breath and visibly forced himself to calm down.

"You're right. I need to focus on what to do now. Not what I could have done." his voice was clipped and he bit each word off as if it was a supreme effort to remain civil. Melody kept a firm grip on one arm but dropped her other and turned to Monroe.

"Uncle Bert, if Tyler contacts you, or you find out where he is, I am begging you, please call Joe or me. You owe Hallie that much at least." Her own words were rich with disapproval and anger, nearly as venomous as Joe's. She tugged on Joe, forcing him to leave the house. He finally broke free of her vice like grip and stormed down the rickety steps and was headed for the driver's side when she caught up to him and pressed up against the door. She held out her hand, palm up. "You are in no fit state to drive. Gimme the keys."

Joe glared at her but she refused to even blink. Finally with a sigh of disgust he pulled the keys out of his pocket and dropped them in her waiting hand. He stomped around the front of the SUV, then childishly kicked the tire as he waited for her to unlock the door. Instead of double clicking though, she only unlocked the driver's side. She got in and and must have taken too long to unlock the passenger side because a sudden slam of flesh against window caused her to jump. She unlocked the door and Joe slid in, shaking a fist that was undoubtedly going to be sporting a lovely bruise across the knuckles shortly.

"Feel better?" she asked a bit snarkily.

"Yes." he grumped back at her.

"Do you think you can handle calling Frank without going off into some tirade or other?" she continued with a hint of her usual acerbic wit. "Find out if they have learned anything?" Joe glared at her and muttered something unintelligible but pulled out his iPhone and speed dialed his brother anyway. He spoke rapidly, his frustration and helplessness glaringly evident. Melody could hear Frank's voice on the other end, attempting( and failing miserably) to calm his younger brother down. By the time they had pulled into the small parking lot of the Agency, Frank was outside, still on the phone. He hung up as the SUV pulled into it's spot. He strode over to the passenger side and threw open the door.

"Melody, would you mind going on ahead? Joe and I need to have a little chat. Dad can let you know what he've uncovered so far." Melody nodded and tossed the keys lightly in his direction, where Frank snatched them mid air. He then turned to his brother, still sulking in the car. "Okay, spill it. What's really going on, Little Brother?"

Joe responded by exploding out of the SUV, nearly knocking his brother over in the process. He took off running, not towards the office or his apartment, but down the street. Frank quickly followed after him, but Joe was always the faster runner over short distances. He soon lost sight of his fleeing sibling but had a pretty good idea of where he would end up anyway.

Sure enough, a few blocks down the road he came upon a small neighborhood playground. Since it was pretty much the dinner hour it was empty save for Joe. He had picked up a fairly large branch and was beating the hell out of a poor innocent oak tree. As Frank caught up, huffing and puffing the teeniest little bit, the branch splintered with an almighty crack and Joe threw it away with a scream of rage. He was about to resume his attack on the helpless tree with his fist when Frank reach out and grabbed the clenched hand into his own. He staggered a bit at the force behind the fist but successfully kept Joe from breaking a knuckle or three. He whipped around, wrapping Joe in a tight embrace from behind, not letting him escape. Joe may have been beefier and larger across the chest and shoulders, but Frank was no weakling and his wiry strength managed to contain Joe until he finally slumped in resigned defeat.

"Are you done?" he asked mildly. Joe nodded so Frank gingerly released his near choke hold and stepped back. "So, uh, what brought this on? Up til now you've been handling this pretty well." he continued, vigilant for any signs that Joe was going to erupt like Mt Vesuvius again. You never could tell with his volatile brother.

"We have wasted so much time, Frank!" Joe wailed, his voice breaking. "Monroe could have told us yesterday and we could have found Cavenaugh by now!"

"And just how much time are we wasting right now while you throw a temper tantrum?" Frank responded quietly. The lack of accusation in his voice only made the rebuke hit closer to home. Joe retaliated by lashing out.

"What do you know? Not like you have anyone worth throwing a temper tantrum over. Is that why Callie left? You weren't willing to do absolutely anything for her, and she knew that?" Joe spat out.

"I'm gonna let that slide because I know you don't mean it." Frank replied, although the words stung. " But neither am I gonna let you treat me like crap just because you are in pain, Little Brother." Frank grabbed Joe by the shoulders and gave him a little shake. 'Feel sorry for yourself _later. _Now, you pull yourself together and act like a PI, not a lovestruck Romeo." he glared, intense brown eyes staring directly into petulant blue ones, not giving an inch. "We found something in the records. And by now maybe Greg has gotten us a lead on where Cavenaugh could be." He stepped back, dropping his arms and turned, walking at a normal place back towards the office.

Joe stood there, watching Frank's back retreating down the road. He was gasping for breath and still nursed a little resentment at his brother's earlier words. But after a minute he realized he was acting like a brat and took off at a quick jog. He caught up to Frank quickly and fell in beside him. "Sorry" he mumbled, not looking at his elder sibling.

Frank reach out an arm and gave him a quick hug across the shoulders as they continued to walk. "We'll find her, Joe. Have faith in that." by now they were at the building, and Melody was standing outside tin the parking lot, obviously waiting for their return.

"It's been 48 hours, Frank. You know what that means." Joe bleakly responded before brushing past Melody and continuing on into the office. Frank would have dne the same, but was stopped by a firm hand on his arm.

"What did he mean, 'It's been 48 hours' ?!" Melody demanded. The look in her eyes was no longer angry, but fearful.

Frank hesitated. He didn't want to say it, but knew Melody would not appreciate his attempt at glossing it over. "He meant that in most kidnappings, if you don't find the victim within the first 48 hours, you won't find them alive, if at all."

**A/n: **_ Woah. that was pretty long even for me. hope it makes up for the fact that y'all had to wait a whole week for it. yeah, Joe's reaching the end of his rope here. He's about to do something stupid. Hopefully Frank can reign him in somewhat. _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n: ** _muchly more shorter chapter. but I wanted to devote more time to the actual reunion. Also, for those of you who hate Melody, I sort of got rid of her for a bit, but rest assured she will make her presence known next chapter. and she will be in rare form._

**Chapter Six**

Frank opened the outer door that led into the common area where the mailboxes were situated and gestured for Melody to precede him inside. Neither spoke as they approached the door leading to the Office. Again, Frank held the door for Melody. When they got inside, there was no sign of Joe or Fenton. Ethel Radley was hunched over the scattered paperwork but when she saw the two of them, stood up with an exaggerated stretch. She smiled and held out a hand as she approached them. "You must be Melody. I'm Ethel." Melody took the proffered hand and was surprised a little at the firm grip coming from such a slip of a woman.

Frank was looking around the room, a tiny frown on his face. Ethel noticed it. "Your father took Joe upstairs to take care of those knuckles."

Frank's frown got deeper. "We have a first aid kit here."

"True, but your mother stopped by a little while ago with groceries so Fenton decided to feed him as well." she replied.

"I should go up there..." he began only to be cut off by the woman who thought of him and his brother as the children she never had.

"No, you shouldn't. Your father wanted some time alone with Joe. And there is still stuff to be done down here. Besides, Sam should be back any minute." Frank wasn't happy about it, but at the same time was still nursing a bit of resentment over Joe's earlier words. He decided to let things go for the nonce and instead set about making a fresh pot of coffee.

Time passed and everyone was so engrossed in their little worlds that no one noticed when Joe and Fenton returned, bringing with them a large green salad and a casserole dish of macaroni and cheese, piping hot from the oven. Frank and Melody shared an embarrassed smile at their simultaneous stomach growls once they got a whiff of the sharp cheddar and toasted bread crumbs.

"Figured we might as well keep up our strength, as I expect we will be here all night." Fenton said with a smile as he placed the casserole on the counter next to the coffee pot. Joe silently set the salad down and then went to pull plates and utensils out from the cabinet. Frank thought he had been crying again, but looked a little calmer.

Melody thought differently. She decided Joe looked exhausted, and drained of all hope. The concept did not fill her with any confidence at all and she began to truly despair of ever seeing her friend alive again.

Fenton declared a total moratorium on all things related to the case for the duration of dinner, to include not even discussing it over heaping plates. As a result, dinner was mostly silent. They all ate quickly, eager to get back to things. Melody offered to clean up and as she was doing that, the menfolk and Ethel set about organizing the scattered papers a little bit. Soon they had things more or less organized and were about to dive in when the front door opened and in walked Sam and Greg Herndon, still in uniform.

Sam quickly made his way over to his wife's side and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, while Greg followed more sedately but with an unmistakable air of excitement surrounding him. Joe noticed it first and eagerly got up to stand before his friend. Greg's grin got just a hair wider.

"We'll have the warrant in about an hour. Covers both address we found for Tyler Cavenaugh, as well as his Parents' address and Monroe's. Feel like doing a little bit of search and rescue this evening?" Joe merely responded by engulfing his friend in a tight hug before stepping back quickly with a small grin of embarrassment.

Fenton stood up and shook Greg's hand, asking "How many teams do we have to do all this?"

Greg's grin faded. "Welp, you have me, my partner and 2 others. Its all Riley can spare at the moment due to the concert." The local Music hall was host to a Boy Band that night and the Bayport area was crawling with tens of thousands of hormonal adolescent girls. "Quite honestly, a few of the guys wanted to come with me, figured they'd be safer."

"And quieter" Frank said, mostly to himself. Melody heard him though and gave him a quick grin followed by, of all things, a wink.

"So anyway, I was hoping you could help us narrow down the most likely place to hit first" Greg continued.

"Monroe's is off the table. Mel and I were there earlier and I believe him when he says he has no idea where Hall is." Joe stated.

"Works for me. We've had a BOLO for Cavenaugh's car and its been spotted in the general area of two of the possibles, His parents, and one of the two addresses we have on him, a small cottage on the outskirts of town. I gather its an old summer home of the family's, rarely used in recent years. If I were a betting man, I'd suggest we hit that one first. But it's your call, Joe." Greg looked over at his friend.

Joe took a deep breath. At last they had something concrete to go on. But what if he made the wrong choice? What if Cavenaugh found out what was happening and did something drastic? His sudden reluctance to make a decision and commit did not escape his father's notice. Fenton came up to his youngest child, slipped an arm around his shoulders and whispered something into his ear. Whatever he said caused Joe to shake his head 'no' and whisper back. Finally he stepped away from his father and gave Greg the okay to go with the cottage first. "While we are waiting, tell me what you guys have been up to."

Fenton indicated everyone should take a seat then turned to Ethel. "Well as you know, Frank and I each saw something 'off' about the books so I decided to call in an expert. Ethel is a CPA and jumped at the chance to help." he smiled at her, as did Joe and Melody, in appreciation for her willingness to assist. Here Ethel took over the narrative.

" 'Off' is putting it mildly. Funny part is you were correct when you said you didn't think anything actually illegal was going on. The money has been shifted around, but has never left the confines of the organization." The expressions of befuddlement on Joe, Melody and Greg's face were identical, and a bit comical. She smiled and continued. "Let me explain in layman's terms."

Ethel stood up and began scribbling on the white board that was set up in a corner. "Okay, first we have the accounts that each client has within the company. We'll use the 'fictitious' account that Monroe set up when he hired his nephew. The client is real, and has used Infoetch on many occasions, but had not had a recent order. This made them an ideal cover.. a legitimate client but no current order, so there would be no need to set up an entirely new account. These accounts remain open even when dormant unless the client requests termination. This just makes it easier down the line six months or a year later when they need to place a new software order." Ethel paused to make sure every one was keeping up. Seeing the rapt expressions, even on Joe's face, she continued.

"These accounts are open. Meaning, anyone in the company can make transactions to and from. Anyone can deposit or withdraw funds or transfer to any other account. Generally speaking, that means these accounts tend to have very little money in them for immediate access; never more than $5000 and often much less. The client and the contract will often dictate this amount. The account Cavenaugh was playing with had an extremely low ceiling of $2500. When going over the account activity, he was a very busy boy. Numerous transactions, all below the ceiling. As soon as the account got close to the ceiling, he'd transfer it to a different account."

"And that is where he made his first mistake, although I doubt he realized it at first. He had to keep shuffling money on paper from this account to another, with a higher ceiling. There are 2 such general accounts set up. The numbers are practically identical, with 2 digits transposed in the middle. One general account was the CFOs responsibility and it is my assumption that that is where he _meant_ to transfer the money, as Monroe was one of the only people who could remove funds or write checks off this account. The other account was a restricted account and exactly one person was authorized to withdraw funds. The CEO."

Joe sat back, stunned. "Halloran."

"Actually, her grandfather. None of the legal paperwork has been filed yet to transfer such powers to her although I suppose if done in person at the bank with the probate paperwork it would be allowed. I went through and got a time line of all the most recent activities. Within 20 minutes of Monroe's meeting with his nephew, Tyler Cavenaugh attempted to withdraw all the funds electronically and transfer them to another, outside account. I can only assume it was his personal account. Regardless, it was denied, of course."

"Joseph, do you see what this means?" Fenton asked softly. Joe just looked at him, uncomprehendingly. "It means he _can't_ hurt her. If she dies, the entire company's assets will be frozen and only the most basic of transactions, such as salaries and the heating bill will be paid out. He's probably trying to coerce her into accessing the money and handing it off to him. And I bet she's told him to go to hell."

The comment brought a bark of laughter from Melody and the faintest of smiles from Joe. "That just means his patience may run out before she caves. We have to find her tonight, dad."

Before anyone could respond, Greg's partner Paul Goddard walked in. Goddard was very short, barely 5' 6", but was all muscle behind his light brown skin and dour expression. He was a study in contrast with his taller, skinnier and much more lighthearted partner. They made a good team, though. He waved the warrants and spoke. "Davies and Macintyre are waiting for us to tell them which address to meet you at."

Everyone got up at once, some talking over others as they began to prep. A sharp whistle rang through the air and all turned to Joe, who had just removed his fingers from his mouth. "Can we at least pretend that we have a plan?" he asked plaintively. "I can't take any chances here."

"Of course, Son, you are absolutely right." Fenton spoke. "Officer Herndon, perhaps you would be so kind as to give us some direction?" he deftly shifted responsibility away from Joe and into the hands of the law, thus ensuring no lawyer could find any loopholes later on. It didn't hurt that it also absolved Joe of any lingering doubts or hesitancy. If anything, god forbid, went wrong tonight, he didn't want his son to blame himself for any of it.

Greg immediately told Paul to grab three vests out of the trunk of their cruiser. "But make no mistake, I want you backing us up, not leading the charge. _Capish_?!"

"Don't worry, Greg, I'll reign him in." Frank's comment drew a chuckle from Sam and Fenton, and a dirty look from his sibling.

"Umm, excuse me?!" Melody spoke up now with a snide attitude. "Don't I get a vest too?"

"No. Because you aren't coming." Greg's voice lost the normal lilt of humor and he became very professional.

"I don't _think _ so.." she retorted heatedly, only to be hushed unceremoniously.

" I understand you wish to help. But I don't know you, I don't care that you are a Park Ranger and I sure as hell am not going to run the risk of you getting hurt on my watch. You can't help, you will only be in the way and I am going to have my hands full keeping Romeo over there contained. So don't even go there." He left exactly no room for argument. Melody was at a slow boil, about to erupt when Ethel intervened.

"My dear, why don't you and I go over and keep Laura company, hmm?" she suggested, hoping to avert a crisis. "The Boys will call the minute they have anything to report." She smiled sweetly and took Melody's arm, deftly maneuvering her out of the office. Everyone else gave a silent sigh of relief when she was gone.

Frank, meanwhile, had unlocked the gun safe and began loading their weapons and pulling extra ammunition. The next few minutes were spent with everyone busy readying themselves for what they hoped wold be an easy rescue, but had to be prepared for something more violent. But within minutes everyone was ready. Greg and Paul took the lead in their cruiser, with Fenton with Sam in his car and Frank and Joe in the SUV. They drove quickly, without lights and sirens and in less than 20 minutes arrived at the small cottage where they quickly discovered that Tyler Cavenaugh's car was sitting in the driveway. The other two police officers had beat them there by a few minutes and were able to report that Cavenaugh was alone in the living room and had made no phone calls although he had been out to the small shed in the back yard once.

Joe was literally bouncing in frustration and wanted to storm the house right away. Frank tried vainly to calm him down and even Fenton had no luck. It was Greg who finally laid down the law, using a tone of voice he seldom used with the brothers, but he got through to Joe, enough at least that the Blond agreed to let Greg take the lead.

It was over in seconds. Davies and Macintyre snuck around the back and came in through the kitchen door off the deck. Goddard kicked in the front door and aimed high as he swung into the room, with Greg crouching low. Cavenaugh was literally caught with his pants down, being clad only in his boxers and a tee shirt. He was very close to drunk and the sudden appearance of several armed men in bullet proof vests caused him to panic so badly his attempt to scramble out of the house through the back was met with a sudden forceful stop. Davies winced as he shook out the hand he used to subdue the pimply faced scrawny youth.

As Macintyre was cuffing the hapless perp, Joe burst in and grabbed Cavenaugh by the front of his tee shirt, ripping it along the seam of the collar. "Where is she you son of a bitch?!"

**A/n: **_ patience, grasshoppers. I promise next chapter will be the joyful reunion of our star crossed lovers. I am hoping to wrap this up in the next week or 2, so I have time to knock out my quick one shot Christmas story before I go on vacation. _


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n: ** _another shortish chapter, but I have a lot of candy to make tomorrow, plus the first of the Wardroom/command christmas parties coming up next week, which of course entails trips to the salon to hide the grey. Didn't want to make you wait over a week between updates. Still aiming for that 'nice' check mark on Santa's list. __  
_

**Chapter Seven**

Cavenaugh just gaped at the apparently crazy person who stood millimeters away, spittle flying into his face. He tried backing away, but was stopped short by the Police Officer who had just finished cuffing him. Macintyre leaned in and whispered "I strongly suggest you tell the man. Otherwise I cannot guarantee your safety."

Seemingly impossibly, the tall muscular blond leaned even closer in, seriously encroaching on Tyler's personal space. "You either tell me where Halloran is or I will start breaking limbs. Are we clear?"

"I did warn you." Macintyre said amiably. "Joe, I do believe I will go help search the rest of the house. You'll be all right alone with our friend here, yeah?"

The answering smile was predatory and Tyler started squeaking in protest. "Y..y..You heard him! He'll kill me!"

"Sorry, didn't hear a thing. Deaf on one side, ya know. Old war wound." Macintyre winked over the now cowering Cavenaugh's head.

"Do yourself a favor, Cavenaugh. Cooperate and you may just get charged with unlawful imprisonment as opposed to kidnapping. But so help me gawd if she has so much as a broken fingernail you are a dead man."

As his life flashed before his eyes, Tyler Cavenaugh idly wondered how such beautiful blue eyes could be so damn scary. "S...s..she's in the shed. K..Key is on the counter." he jerked his head to the left.

Macintyre nodded. "I'll run him out to the car." and with that he none too gently dragged the would be embezzler and wannabe kidnapper outside, barefoot and with all his assets spilling out of the opening in his boxers. Joe wasted no time, grabbing the key on the run as he dashed out the door towards the shed and his Love. He was quickly followed by his brother and 2 of the officers. As they approached the shed, however, Goddard put up a restraining hand. "Give me the key. I am going in first."

"Oh _**hell **_ no!" Joe spat. He made for the door, but was restrained by his brother. "Let me _go_ Frank" he growled.

"No. Let them do this the right way, Little Brother." Frank did not voice the concern that he he knew the others shared, that they were too late. If it were the worse case scenario, he was going to make damn sure his brother was spared the sight of her lifeless body. There was a reason family members were never allowed to be a part of the final rescue attempts. He tightened his grip, but it was a comforting gesture rather than a restraining one. Joe was still struggling against him when Goddard unlocked the padlock and threw open the door.

Goddard walked about three steps in before he was whalloped in the head and collapsed in a heap. Joe broke free and rushed in, catching sight of Halloran, one hand raised and holding a hammer poised to strike again. "Babe, it's okay. I'm here." he cried, feeling a sense of _deja vu _as he recalled their first meeting. (_only it was a safety deposit box, not a hammer. Remind me to stay on her good side forever_.)

She blinked, uncomprehendingly, eyes unfocused. Joe saw that she was filthy, and with a growl realized that she was also nearly naked. She was clad only in her bra and panties, and both showed signs of rips and tears. "Honey, just drop the hammer, okay?" he spoke softly, reaching one hand out hesitantly toward her. She finally turned to him and peered through the gloom.

"J..Joe?!" Her hand dropped, the hammer falling with a clatter as she took one step towards him before collapsing. He ran to her, catching her and gently lowering her to the ground. Her eyes were closed, but it was only a second before she opened them and gazed into Joe's brilliant sapphire orbs glistening with unshed tears. " 'bout time you got here. What took you so long?" she murmured. She shivered uncontrollably and Joe realized that she was freezing, possibly suffering from hypothermia. He wrapped his arms even more tightly around her and whispered into her hair.

"You know me, always late." he half sobbed, half laughed.

"Yeah well next time, don't be."

"Rapunzel, I swear to you there will not be a next time. I will _never_ let anything happen to you." he still used the nickname despite her hair having been shorn to chin length months earlier.

The reunion was interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the search party, with Greg asking "Does she need an ambulance?"

Frank answered. "I dunno about her, but Goddard sure as hell does. He's out cold." he looked up from where he had knelt beside the unconscious police officer, who had a distinctly hammer head shaped dent in his skull. He gave Halloran a quick grin. "Remind me to stay on your good side. I think he has a concussion!"

At Halloran's gasp of dismay, Joe just chuckled and whispered for her ears only. "That's my girl. Although, in retrospect, I wish it had been Cavenaugh you decked. Goddard may not appreciate the irony of not letting me go first." In reply, she just shivered a little and snuggled more deeply into his arms. "Frank, grab me a blanket or something? She needs to get warm." Frank took off and by the time he returned with a threadbare throw he had snagged from the back of the couch, Hall was standing on her own, but still ensconced within Joe's protective embrace. He wrapped the item around her shoulders, noting with concern how thin and pinched she looked. He cocked an eyebrow over her head at Joe, miming a drink. Joe's eyes darkened as he took a closer look at his girlfriend and then narrowed as he took in her appearance. She was covered with scratches, bruises and what looked like insect bites. He reached down behind her knees and scooped her up into his arms. Reflexively, she grabbed around his neck but made no protest as she he walked over to the SUV. Fenton had already beat them there and had cracked open a bottle of water. He handed it to her, with a cautionary warning about drinking it slowly. She accepted with a tired smile and touched the bottle to her lips, barely letting the water pass.

"I haven't had anything to eat or drink since about 2 the day that runt tasered me." Halloran's voice held an uncharacteristic note of venom as she spoke. Joe was about to respond when they were interrupted by the approaching sounds of an ambulance. Greg waved them on to the shed, where his partner was just now coming around. After quickly assessing him, one of the paramedics came over to the SUV and began checking out Halloran. Her protestations that she was fine and just needed a nap, a shower and a hot meal went unheeded by everyone.

The paramedic hooked her up to an IV to get some fluids into her. Halloran managed to sweet talk them in to not putting her on a gurney, but was unable to convince them to let her go to the hospital in the SUV. A fight nearly erupted when Joe was quite firmly told there was no way in hell he was riding in the back of the ambulance, as there was no room since Goddard was also riding. A major crisis was averted when Greg suggested that he ride in front with the driver. That was met with(reluctant) approval but the Hardy Boys were legendary in the EMT/paramedic world, especially the younger one. It was well known that you didn't push the issue unless it was truly unsafe for one of them to ride along. Frank followed in the SUV, while Fenton and Sam took a detour to pick up the women standing vigil at the Hardy home. Greg was stopping by to pick up his partner's sister as he had no other family before heading over to the hospital.

Halloran spent the ride apologizing profusely to Goddard, who had regained consciousness but was feeling a little woozy. Joe kept using the intercom that connected the cab with the back part of the ambulance until the driver unceremoniously turned it off, earning him a few choice words from the Blond. Luckily before it could come to blows they arrived at the emergency room entrance, where Halloran was forced into a wheelchair by the waiting orderly. Joe almost rudely pushed the orderly out of the way and took over pushing the chair. He was all set to bring her all the way back through the great double doors but was stopped by both Greg Herndon and the Doctor. Inevitably an argument began, with Joe's voice rising higher and higher, Halloran's getting more and more strident and Greg's getting more and more stern. Halloran would not let go of Joe's hand but the doctor was not budging in any way shape or form, and seemed unwilling to explain exactly why.

By the time Fenton got there with everyone else, Halloran was in tears, and Greg was trying unsuccessfully to calm Joe down. Laura and Melody immediately joined in the conversation and in about a minute, had independently guessed (correctly) the same thing.

"Sweetheart, I know that you want to stay with Halloran, but they need to examine her." Laura said quietly, so low that it forced Joe to stop his shouting so that he could hear her.

"I am not leaving her, Mother!" he tried to explain.

"Joe. I'll go in and stay with her." Melody turned to the doctor, hands on hips and dared him to quibble. "That's acceptable, is it not?!" her tone of voice left no doubt that she knew exactly what was going on. The doctor tried to demur, asking if Melody was family. At this point Halloran spoke up.

"I want her in there with me if I can't have Joe. And that is final." She had begun shaking again, going into shock. She turned to Joe, pleading with her eyes even as she reached out for his hand again. "Honey, it won't be for long, and Mellie will be right there the whole time. And besides, I need a cheeseburger in the worst way. Would you please be a dear and get me one?"

Joe leaned in and kissed her long and deeply. "If you are sure you'll be alright?" he said questioningly.

Melody placed a hand on his arm. "I won't let her out of my sight, I promise."

Joe wasn't convinced, but between Halloran's assurances and his mother's gentle but insistent tugging on his arm, he eventually nodded his head abruptly before turning on is heel and stalking away. The menfolk, Greg excluded, all looked at confused as Joe.

"Sweetheart, come and sit down for a bit." Laura insisted. In his present state, his mother was the only person who could get through to him.

"I should get that cheeseburger..." He started to say but stopped when his mother shook her head, and patted the seat next to him.

"It's going to be a while, dear, before she's ready for it and it will just get cold. I'll run out and get it as soon as they are done. That way you can spend as much time as you can with her. But first, I think you need to know something." Laura smiled gently. This wasn't going to be easy to say, she was sure of it, but in some ways her youngest was still very naïve and wouldn't understand the implications behind the doctor's refusal to allow him in the exam room. "Do you understand why the doctor wouldn't let you in?"

"Yeah. He's an ass." Joe grumbled. "Wish it was Doc Taylor on call. Him, I like."

"No, that's not it at all." She noticed her husband and eldest son heading towards them and she shook her head silently, motioning for them to stay back for now. The two men exchanged puzzled looks before shrugging their shoulders in eery symmetry and shifted gears to chat with Sam and Ethel. Laura would explain later to them, if needed. But now she continued speaking to her youngest. She reached over and grabbed both of his hands in her small ones, grasping them tightly.

"Joseph, The reason that the doctor would not let you in but allowed Melody is because they have to do an SAE." At Joe's blank look, she elaborated. "Sexual Assault Exam, Honey."

"NO!" Joe exploded out of the chair, intent on running straight to Halloran's room. It took the combined efforts of Frank and his father to stop him. "Please, Frank, let me go!"

"Dammit, Hardy, don't make me cuff you to the friggin' chair!" Greg roared. "We _don't__know_ for sure what happened and we didn't want to ask her in front of witnesses. This is standard procedure in a kidnapping case involving women or minors. So just cool your jets. If Cavenaugh laid a hand on her, I swear on my badge you can have 5 minutes alone with him in a cell and don't care if it costs me my job. But until we know for sure the best thing you can do for her is to calm the hell down." Greg ended his tirade by getting in Joe's face and not backing away. Frank never loosened his grip, Laura's grip on his arm was fast turning his hand numb from restricted blood flow and Fenton and Sam hovered nearby, ready to block any attempt he may try to break free. Joe accepted the inevitable and stopped fighting. His look of defeat and heartbreak nearly broke Laura's heart. He sat down heavily and placed his face in his hands. His shoulders shook with silent sobs and everyone was at a loss, unsure of how to react. Frank sat on one side, and Laura the other. Each leaned in close and just held him, words being useless at a time like this. They stayed that way for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only about 45 minutes.

Melody returned, unnoticed by those waiting in the reception area. She approached the still distraught Joe, crouching in front of him and gently laying a hand on his knee. "Joe?" she says, quietly. "Hallie wants you like 3 minutes ago." He jumped, startled out of his reveries, but immediately stands up and nearly knocks Melody over in his haste. He doesn't waste any time and runs off towards the exam room, and is almost there before he suddenly stops and turns around.

"Mom?" he asks somewhat embarrassed.

"Go on, dear. I'll be by in a bit with dinner." he flashes her a quick smile then quickly tuns on his heel and heads towards the woman he loves.

**A/n: **_Thought I'd save the real heart to heart for the next chapter. and you can expect lots of emotional exposition and a few revelations. I hope I conveyed Greg;s willingness to only give the Boys so much latitude when it comes to professional courtesy.. He likes them and respects them, but has to draw the line somewhere. I am thinking I can wrap this up fairly shortly which gives me plenty of time for my Christmas present to all of you. _


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n: **_Nice longish chapter to get you through the weekend. as for me,I will be cheering the Mids on for a hopefully 11th straight victory over Army on Sat then entertaining some old friends from Japan on Sun. Figured you'd appreciate me posting this now rather than next week sometime. __  
_

**Chapter Eight**

Joe rushed down the all too familiar hallway of the Emergency Services department of Bayport General. He quickly found the room Halloran had been taken to for her exam and he burst in. The lights were off in the room, with only the heart monitor that was attached to her forefinger casting any illumination. The harsh green made Halloran's face look even more ghastly as the bruises stood out in stark relief. Her eyes were closed as he walked in, but she quickly opened them at the small gasp that escaped his lips.

Silently, she held out her arms, and he rushed over to scoop her tightly into an embrace, neither one caring about the tangle of IV lines. "deja vu all over again" she whispered with tears in her voice, the sounds muffled against his chest.

"Whassat, dear?" he asked, his own voiced equally thick with emotion.

"Us. You and me. Hospital beds. It's beginning to be a habit."

"What say we make a pact. No more habits like that. I promise to not get shot any more, and you promise no more being kidnapped. Deal?"

"Like you will be able to keep that promise, Studmuffin." her voice had lost the emotional distress and she gently teased him now. Joe's heart constricted.

"I meant what I said last time. I will quit the Family business if it will make you less nervous. In fact, if it weren't for the damned job I would have been here and you never would have been in trouble in the first place!" he spat bitterly. He was shocked at her sudden violence, as she pushed him away with both hands and glared at him.

"Don't. You. _Dare_. If it weren't for the the Family business I'd still be in that damned shed, trying to decide between starving to death, freezing to death or dying of dehydration. You were the only one who could have saved me. Let's face it, other than Mellie, no one else would have even noticed I was missing. And she told me how much resistance she got from the cops trying to report it before she went to Frank and your father." she crossed her arms, grimacing a little at the interference of the IV line in one arm, and the heart monitor on the other. "The only thing that kept me going was the unflagging certainty that you would find me."

"But, Babe, I wasn't even in town and you had no clue when I'd be back?!" Joe said with a confused look on his face.

"Didn't matter. I also knew Mellie wouldn't let it slide since we had plans for dinner that night. And even though she thinks Frank is a total ass, she also knows that I have done nothing but reiterate how good all of you are at your calling and she'd swallow her personal feelings and browbeat him into helping."

Joe reluctantly laughed a little at that, recalling when he walked in on the Park Ranger doing exactly that. "Okay, Okay I concede the point. But how could you be so confident you'd be found in time?"

"Because you idiot, I know you love me more than life itself, and I know damn well you would move mountains for me. And I firmly believe that somehow, some way, you would have either sensed something was wrong, or that Frank would have found a way to get in touch with you while you were undercover. I have faith in you. I have faith that I am never in true danger as long as you are in my life. So do not even think about walking away 'for my own good' " she used air quotes and a sneer to convey her contempt at the concept.

"That was never going to happen. I can promise you that." he said huskily as he bent closer and pressed his lips to hers fiercely. She reached around his neck and was returning the kiss equally passionately when Joe had a sudden thought, and with a gasp pulled away abruptly. "Oh, gawd." he whispered, fear choking his voice. "Did that bastard..." he couldn't finish, unwilling even to think about it, let alone put it into words.

Halloran cocked her head quizzically, unsure what he was referring to. "Did he what?"

Joe was tongue tied, his normally glib ability to never shut up momentarily at a loss. "Mom said...Melody...wouldn't let me stay with you.." he stumbled over the fragments of sentences in a babble until she finally got the gist of it.

"Oh!" she gulped as the implications set in. She reached up, and put her now much warmer hands to his face, forcing him to look at her. "Joe! Nothing like that happened! I'd have scratched his eyes out if he even did so much as leer at me." She tightened her grip on his face as she peered into those blue eyes so full of fear for her. "All he wanted was the money. That's all."

Joe was unconvinced, though. "Then what about your clothes?"

"The little shit thought he could prevent me trying to escape if he took them. I think he was going to go for the Full Monty but I woke up before he got too far. I hope his nuts fall off." the last was said in a small, vicious whisper and a grim but gleefully evil smile. "I kneed him good, Studmuffin. You'd've been proud. He backed away real damn fast after that." a self satisfied smirk crept over her face at the recollection.

Joe laughed, a real, proper laugh that let out all the suppressed worry and fear from the last few days. He grabbed her close, once again ignoring all the damned wires and tubes and gave his girlfriend a bear hug that nearly crushed her ribs and caused her to wince as she was still pretty bruised up. "That's my Girl!" he repeated his earlier compliment. He leaned back and was about to ask her another question when Laura and Melody popped in with brown paper bags. The grease from the fries was soaking through one and the other bulged with burgers. Joe leapt off the bed and relieved his mother of her burden. "Have I told you you are the best Mom ever?" he grinned as he pecked her on the cheek.

"Not recently, Dear." she smiled. Turning to Halloran, she reached out and grasped her hands lightly while bending over to gave her a peck on the cheek. "How do you feel, Sweetheart?" she asked gently.

"Mostly just glad it's all over." She replied with a smile " And thanks for this, they weren't going to feed me anything but glucose." the smile changed to a grimace as she flicked the arm containing the IV with distaste. "But at least they said I can go home as soon as the bag is empty." Everyone was pleased to hear that and talk turned to what the next step was.

"I just want to get out of here, take a bubble bath until I turn into a prune and sleep for a week." Hall declared. "And you are reading me a bedtime story, Mister!" she turned and gave Joe a light punch in the arm.

"Mom, are you done with _Fifty Shades of Grey_ yet?!" Joe leered at Halloran as he teased Laura, who turned pink and did her own swatting of Joe's arm.

"Young man, you should be ashamed of yourself thinking such thoughts!" but she smiled to show she wasn't that offended. Besides, she was reading the book and found it quite...satisfying. And so did Fenton. Surest way to get their two beloved sons out of the house in a hurry was to sit down in whatever room they were in and open that book. Worked like a charm on more than one occasion.

"Honey, where do you want to stay? My place? Yours? Hotel Ritz?" Joe asked with a grand sweeping flourish. "Ask, and Ye Shall Receive."

"I just want to go home, Joe. Sleep in my own bed. Mellie?" she turned to her friend. "Are you staying too? You are welcome to of course." She ignored Joe's momentary flash of disappointment, quickly hidden.

"Much as I'd love to sit up all night gossiping, I really do need to go back to work before I no longer have a job to go back to. The Boss has been more than understanding. Now that I know you are okay, I'll be off, but I will be back this weekend. Girls' Night, just the two of us." Melody threw a challenging look in Joe's direction, who refused to rise to the bait. Mel seemed almost disappointed in that. She stood and gave Hall a tight hug, whispering in her ear "Glad you're okay." With a final wave to the rest of the room she headed out. As she was leaving, Greg Herndon entered.

"Are you decent?" he asked with a smile. "Feel up to answering the usual 20 questions?"

Joe looked at Halloran. "Up to you, Honey. I'll back you either way."

Hall tilted her head up to look Greg in the eye apologetically. " Can it wait until tomorrow after I have had some real sleep? I know it needs to be done, and believe me I want it over with sooner rather than later, but my brain is mush right now and I might screw it up."

"Of course, Hall. But could you stop by the Precinct early? We want to be able to formally charge Cavenaugh with as much as we can and get bail set. Just one thing, Will you be pressing charges against the Uncle?"

Halloran shook her head. "I never saw him or have any reason to believe he was a part of Tyler's plan. In fact I wasn't even aware of the relationship between the two of them until Mellie told me earlier tonight." She paused before continuing. "But if you don't mind, could you serve him with eviction papers from Infotech?" Greg shook his head, but Joe spoke up.

"Don't worry, I'll get Todd to take care of that. Usually handled in house anyway if no police charges are filed. Monroe said you weren't planning on that anyway. Of course what was before you got tasered in the parking garage..." he trailed off, glowering darkly in remembrance.

"No, I don't think I will do anything else.. having him retire is good enough for me, and besides, the money was never actually embezzled. And he was my grandfather's best friend. I just want him out of the company and my life." Halloran yawned and before she could close her mouth, Joe popped a french fry down her gullet. She gave him a glare that lasted about half a second before grinning and swallowing. "Ten o'clock a good time tomorrow, Greg? I plan on sleeping in. Breakfast in bed. The usual."

Greg laughed. "Yeah, that's fine. Just don't ask for pancakes. _Someone_ can't make them to save his life." with a final wave, and a quick duck to avoid a tossed box of rubber gloves, Greg was gone.

"Can too make pancakes." Joe groused with a pout as he flopped back on the tiny hospital bed and cuddled.

"Actually dear, you can't. Remember when you and your brother tried to make me breakfast in bed for Mother's Day?" Laura broke in with a smile.

"Mom. I was like, eleven." Joe whined. "And Aunt Gertrude never let us near the kitchen to get any practice." Halloran tittered at the back and forth, relishing the return to normalcy.

"It's okay. I am putting in an order for one of your world famous omelets anyway. Freshly squeezed orange juice. Oh and wheat toast with blackberry preserves."

"Anything else?!" he growled in mock astonishment.

"Hmm. Yes, now that you mention it, a pot of coffee, your way." She smiled serenely.

"Darling, Dearest, Love of My Life, just howinhell do you expect me to handle all that? I haven't exactly had time to go grocery shopping in the last 72 hours. Let alone have to follow a list." Joe teased.

"Joseph, I filled your fridge yesterday, remember. Besides I thought you were going to Halloran's?!" His mother gently chided. "I am sure she has a fully stocked pantry."

"Mmm I dunno, Mellie eats a lot when she's worried and nervous, and I was running low on a few perishables..." Halloran's voice held a note of uncertainty.

"Then that is my cue to get out of here and drop a dozen eggs off at your place, dear. While I am there shall I pick up an outfit for you to wear out of here?" Laura asked as she rose briskly.

"Oh! Hadn't thought about that! Yes, please, Mrs. H." Hall exclaimed.

"Mom, you really are the best Mom in the universe. Does Dad know how incredibly lucky he is?"

"Yes. Yes he does." Fenton and Frank were at the door. "Can we come in?"

"Of course you can, Mr. H. and Frank, I wanted to thank you for not killing Mellie. I am sure it crossed your mind once or twice." she smiled happily at the arrival of the rest of the family.

"I am sure I have no idea what you mean, Halloran." Frank said formally, but with a little twinkle in his eye.

"She told me how you put the fear of God into her for giving Joe a hard time. Don't let her bully you, she could use somebody to tell her off once in a while. You two could be so good together, you know."

That did it. Joe burst out laughing hysterically. Fenton found himself hard pressed to remain stoic and in fact gave it up as a lost cause after a minute or two. Laura merely swept out of the room on her errands and Frank, well Frank turned a shade of red that is not found in nature. Which of course, only set Joe off into hysterics again, causing such a commotion that a Nurse came rushing on to see what the emergency was.

After a stern reminder that the Emergency Services Area was full of actual sick people, the menfolk and the patient all calmed down and solemnly promised to behave. The next couple of hours were spent keeping Halloran company as the IV bag full glucose slowly drained. The change was readily apparent as she soon looked far less pinched and dehydrated, although the bruises now stood out far more jarringly. Joe became less jovial and more pensive as they waited, seemingly realizing just how bad it really could have been. He tightened his embrace around his girlfriend, not wanting to let her go ever again. Halloran never resisted, and in fact seemed to lean into his arms, needing the closeness just as fiercely as he.

After a while, the doctor returned and declared Halloran free to go as soon as she was ready. Laura had impeccable timing and had just returned with a change of clothes. She summarily shooed the men out of the room declaring that she would help Halloran get dressed. "You can go sign the paperwork."

Fenton offered to go get the car and bring it around, leaving Frank and Joe alone for an uncomfortable silence. "Frank, I guess I owe you a real apology, about what I said before. About Callie." Joe said, hesitantly, almost afraid to mention the subject. "I was out of line, and I had no right to say that."

"Yes, you were. And No you didn't." Frank's normal even tone came through loudly despite his speaking almost in a whisper. "But it was said in the heat of the moment, and while I cant say that you didn't hurt my feelings, or that it didn't bother me, I can forgive you. I had forgotten how intense you get with some things. Funny thing is, you never got this crazy with Vanessa, did you? Only Iola. And now Halloran." He looked at his brother soberly. "Would it surprise you to know I was a little jealous?"

Joe gaped. "Jealous?!"

"Yes, Jealous. Some things come so easily to you, Bro. Less so for me."

"But, yer a friggin' genius! Way smarter than me and stuff."

"Maybe. You aren't exactly stupid, you know. But that's not what I meant. You have this way with people, females especially. It's an art form, a knack I don't have and sometimes, yeah, I wish it wasn't that way. Much as I love your company, I do get lonely." Frank's voce held a tinge of sadness in it.

"Uhh, Frank, how many times have I tried to set you up? Even offered to do the double date thing like we did in high school. You always blew me off. I was half convinced you played for the Other Side." Joe looked at him quizzically.

Frank sighed. He was unsure of how to say what he felt. "I grew up watching Mom and Dad. I want that, for me. You had it with Iola, even if you two were just kids at the time. And now you have it with Halloran. It wasn't like that with Callie. So yeah, sometimes, I envy you. It's easy for you to just jump in and feel with everything you got."

"Be careful what you wish for. Cuz when it goes to hell in a handbasket, it hurts like no torture the bad guys could ever dream up. Remember how you had to talk me down after the car bomb? Or the last couple days? I wouldn't wish those emotions on my worst enemy. Let alone you." Joe was being very serious for once, showcasing a maturity and wisdom he often hid from the world.

"But when it isn't, I can tell it's the best thing in the universe. Just by watching you, and Mom and Dad. I want that. It's worth the risk." Frank responded a little wistfully.

"So, double date with Melody and us. Gotcha. Howsabout next Thursday?" Joe grinned, unable to resists teasing his brother just a little bit. He wasn't really serious; he knew that Melody and Frank were like oil and water despite Halloran's earlier comments. Frank rolled his eyes and slugged his brother lightly on the arm. Further violence was prevented when Halloran and Laura appeared, ready to go. Halloran was sitting quietly in the requisite wheelchair, bound by hospital policy, but she quickly reached out to Joe, who immediately came over and took over pushing from his mother. They all made their way outside, where Fenton was leaning casually against the SUV.

"All set then?" he asked with a smile. At Halloran's enthusiastic nod, he stood straight and opened the back door and gallantly led her inside. Joe slid in beside her and wasted no time circling his arms around her shoulders. Frank just rolled his eyes and pulled open the driver's side door.

"Guess I am driving, huh?!" he said ruefully. Fenton clapped him on the shoulder with a smile before closing the door on his eldest son. He and Laura stood there, waving goodbye as Frank pulled away. Laura snaked an arm around her husband's waist and leaned in.

"I hope he asks soon." she sighed contentedly.

"Hope who asks what, dear?" Fenton asked quizzically.

"Joe. Asking Halloran to marry him." she replied.

"Are you in that much of a hurry for grandchildren, my love?" he teased gently, not really surprised at her comment.

"Well, I cannot deny that I get all emotional in the baby aisle at the department store, but no, I was more thinking along the lines of him having matured so much over the last few years. And I have about decided Frank is a terminal bachelor." Laura spoke with a tinge of regret.

"What makes you say that, dear?" Fenton asked as they walked to their own car and home.

"I just think he's afraid to open himself to the possibility. He's seen so much tragedy; seen Joe and you and even me once or twice hurt or something because of the life you all have chosen. He's always been so protective of Joe, I don't think he wants to be responsible for someone else."

"Don't write him off just yet, my love." Fenton replied as he opened her door then shut it after she had gotten in. He walked around the car to open his own door and started the car up before continuing the conversation. "When he finds someone that makes it worth the risk, he'll be just as mushy as Joe. Or me."

"Worth what risk? Getting your heart broken?" Laura asked, not quite understanding.

"Not exactly. I meant when he finds someone who is willing to take on the challenge of being with someone like us. Like you did back when I was a cop. I was pretty heavy handed with all the doom and gloom bits, and yet you stuck around. So I knew you were worth the risk. I knew that you were tough enough to not walk away no matter how hard it got. So yeah, I guess maybe the risk of heartbreak is part of the equation. You have to take it on faith that the other person can handle everything that comes with being a PI's wife; the blood, the bruises,the crappy hours. And that the good stuff outweighs the bad." He looked over at her and smiled. "He just has very high standards. He's looking for someone like you."

"Oh, dear I do hope he doesn't have an Oedipus Complex!" she half laughed.

"Nothing quite so tragic, Darling. It's just he has a terrific role model for the kind of person who he is looking for." Fenton reached over and squeezed her leg lovingly. The drive to the old homestead on Elm was short and they quickly found themselves pulling into the driveway. Laura had her keys out and unlocked the door, stepping in quickly and coding the alarm. Fenton followed more sedately, casually tossing his coat on the tall coatrack just inside the door before reaching around his wife's still tiny waist and whispering in her ear "What say we go read a few more chapters of _Fifty Shades of Grey_?" Laura giggled as she turned around still within his embrace and reached up her arms to pull his face closer to hers. The kiss was full of love and memory and contentment and soon she was leading him upstairs to their bedroom.

**A/n: **_Poor Frank, feeling like he's missing something. But don't worry, there will be ample opportunity to ease him back into the dating world. and Joe will even be semi nice once in a while too. I wanted to give Joe and Halloran a chapter all to themselves with each of them baring their souls to the other so I shifted the story over to Mom and Dad for just a teensy bit. I figure, since Fenton has retired they have the opportunity to make up for all the time they lost when he was on a stakeout or undercover. Plus I wanted to show that everybody has an idea of why Frank has been alone all this time. _


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n: **_Almost done I think. Just have a couple things to wrap up._

_**Chapter Nine**_

Frank couldn't help but glance into the rear view mirror every other minute as he drove his brother and his girlfriend home. Joe was quiet, none of his usual smart aleck comments or witty conversation. He was content to merely hold Halloran in his muscular arms, she equally as content to let him do so. She shivered once and murmured "I don't think I will ever be warm again."

"When we get home, I'll start a fire while you are taking your bath." he offered. "Sound like a plan?"

"Mmm, yeah that sounds divine." she smiled at him gratefully. "That cheeseburger wasn't enough, though, I'm hungry again."

"Oh, I am sure I can come up with something. Although you really shouldn't eat too heavy at first. Something light, I think."

"Anything but chicken soup." she shuddered prettily. "I_ loathe_ chicken soup."

"No worries on that score, Hall. Joe hates it too." Frank smiled at them from the front of the car. "Has ever since he was three."

"Who's fault was that, Big brother?!" Joe laughed. "Could it be because _someone_ made me eat an entire bowl of it after they had doused it with hot sauce?!" he winked at the girl in his arms as he said it.

"In my defense I had no idea it was hot sauce. I just saw Dad put some in his, so I figured it must be okay. I was only 5 at the time after all." Frank protested.

"Yeah but you put like half the bottle in!" Joe pouted. "and you still made me eat the entire bowl!"

"Wouldn't you if you had been told in no uncertain terms by Aunt Gertrude to make sure it got eaten?!"

"Point taken." Joe looked at Halloran and said, "Aunt Gertrude was a force to be reckoned with. Not even Dad crossed her on most things."

"I wish I had met her. Anyone who can keep you in line must be pretty impressive." She laughed.

The rest of the trip was spent much the same way, with idle conversation and Joe trying his best to garner as much sympathy as possible. Halloran saw right through him, and more often than not, sided with Frank even as she peppered Joe's face with quick kisses. As Frank pulled into the driveway, he offered to come back in the morning to pick them up and bring them to the Precinct so that Halloran could give her statement. "I'll be by about 930. Try and be awake by then. And dressed."

"You have no faith, Bro. I got it covered." Joe groused as he led Halloran out of the SUV and up the walkway. They stopped and waved goodbye as Frank pulled away, then Joe unlocked the door and they went in. The cozy home still bore the signs that until recently, a bachelor lived there. The only feminine touches were in the bedroom that Halloran had claimed for herself when she moved in.

"I'll run that bath water. How many bubbles do you want?" Joe asked as they went upstairs.

"Lots. And make the water scalding hot. I'm still freezing." She replied.

He only partially obeyed. He dumped a generous supply of Lavender bubble bath into the tub, swirling it around as the water poured in. He only made it hot, not scalding, as he knew she'd warm up quickly once submerged. He kept the lights off, instead using a supply of votive candles to provide illumination. He grabbed a portable CD player and a 'Sounds of Nature' CD from the spare bedroom that looked like had been occupied by Melody over the last couple of days and plugged it in on the far side of the sink away from the tub.

Halloran came in, clad only in a cotton bathrobe, which she had left open and was already divesting herself of as she walked in. The subdued lighting hid most of the lighter bruises, but the scratches and bites stood out in stark relief against her porcelain pale skin. Joe's smile at her arrival quickly turned into a grim tightening of lips as he got a good look. His sapphire blue eyes turned positively stormy as he swept his gaze over her body. Halloran shivered, not from cold, although she was still that, or from desire, as she normally did when he looked at her. She saw in his eyes a fierceness, an anger, and such raw emotion she was eternally grateful that it was not directed at her. She self consciously tried to hide the worst of them, but Joe was having none of it.

He oh, so gently slipped the robe off her shoulders and lightly traced a long scratch that ran from collarbone to navel. His touch was incredibly delicate for such a strong man. His eyes changed from anger to despair as he raised his gaze to look into her emerald orbs, shining now with unshed tears.  
"C'mere" he said huskily and folded her into his strong arms and she let her defenses down, finally giving way to the sobs that had been suppressed over the last few days. He said nothing, dropping the two of them to the floor, where he rocked her back and forth until she had cried herself out.

"I am such a wuss." she hiccuped after a few minutes.

"Honey Scrunch, you are the bravest person I know." Joe admonished gently. "No one else would have kneed their attacker the second they regained consciousness. Or beaned a police officer in the skull with a hammer." she groaned at that reminder, still embarrassed about that.

"Maybe." she was unwilling to be convinced.

"Listen to me, Halloran." Joe was very serious. "I am so incredibly proud of you for the way you handled this, and humbled by the amount of faith you have in me. You have nothing to be ashamed of. But your bath water is getting cold and I did promise you a roaring fire." He chucked a finger under her chin and tipped her face up. "Will you be okay if I leave you for a few minutes.?" She nodded. He kissed her lightly on the nose, then helped her up and into the bath, where she sunk to her chin with a sigh of contentment. "No falling asleep and drowning yourself, now."

"Yes, Dear. But if you stay here any longer I may just pull you in here with me." she smiled up at him with the barest hint of naughtiness. He lightly stroked her cheek in a gentle caress before heading downstairs.

It took no time at all to get a roaring fire blazing merrily away so he set about preparing a light supper. Her fridge and freezer were much better stocked than his ever was, even if he was planning on being around for a while. He settled on some white fish with a light lemon sauce, green beans and herbed biscuits. He was quite comfortable in the kitchen, despite having been banned as a child by his Aunt. He set the broiler to preheat even as the biscuits were baking in the smaller toaster oven and the green beans were steaming gently on the stove. He decided that they would eat in front of the fire so he set up in the living room, setting a bottle of white in an ice bucket to chill along with 2 glasses on the coffee table. He heard the water draining from the tub upstairs, so he popped the fish under the broiler. He was just pulling everything out and plating when he heard her pad into the kitchen barefoot.

"Feel better?" he asked as he handed her a plate and walked out into the living room.

"Still cold." She pouted prettily. She was wearing a set of heavy flannel Pjs and the robe was fastened tightly now. Joe helped her sit down, close to the fire and poured her a glass of wine. He then grabbed a throw off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her and when she complained that her hands were trapped he popped a fork full of fish into her mouth. She couldn't decide between laughter and indignation but seeing the serious look on his face, she acquiesced and let him feed her. Joe was solicitous the entire night, with little of his trademark teasing or lecherous attitude coming through. In truth, she was grateful, needing a little pampering and gentleness right now. She did draw the line at the wine glass though, and snaked a hand out from underneath the folds of cloth to serve herself.

Despite the earlier cheeseburger and fries, she wasted no time scarfing down the delicious meal Joe had prepared. She very carefully avoided talking about her ordeal, not quite ready to face it just yet, but knowing she would have no choice in the morning. Until then, however, she wanted to pretend it had never happened and somehow Joe understood her needs without asking and never broached the subject although his eyes would narrow every time he caught a glimpse of bruise or scratch. Between the fire, the blankets, the wine and the full belly she was soon yawning mightily. She was leaned against Joe's broad shoulders and dozing lightly when he suggested softly that she'd be more comfortable in her own bed. All he got in response was a drowsy nod.

Joe carefully slid out from underneath her, and just as carefully picked her up, allowing the throw to fall away to the ground. She felt almost weightless, and incredibly fragile and Joe was hard pressed to stifle the string of epithets he was sorely tempted to let loose. Instead, he bit his lower lip, clenched his jaw and carried Halloran upstairs to the king size bed that awaited them. She barely stirred as he gently laid her on the bed and dew the down comforter over her body. He found a pair of flannel Pj bottoms in a dresser in Grandpa Andy's room and decided he wouldn't mind if Joe borrowed them. By the time he got back to Halloran's bedroom, she was in the throes of a nightmare.

Joe immediately grabbed her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her shivering body and whispered softly into her hair words of comfort. "Shhh, I'm here Baby. You'e safe. It's okay." She never actually woke up, but clung to Joe like a drowning person, whimpering softly. Joe got little sleep that night, but eventually Halloran settled down and had no more nightmares. Joe dozed only, sitting with his back against the headboard and cradling his girlfriend in his arms. It was just after dawn when she woke, confused only for a second before realizing where she was.

"Did you get any sleep at all, Joe?!" she asked, dismayed at the scene before her.

"No worries, I'll be fine once I get a pot of coffee in me." he smiled gently at her. "Speaking of which, I should get that started."

"No. I'll do that. You can shower and change." she said. "But you are still cooking breakfast." her eyes were hooded, and Joe was a little concerned about her mental status, but opted to not push, knowing he himself would be irked if the situation were reversed. He stood up, kissed her lightly on the lips and proceed into the bathroom, where he took a quick shower. Meanwhile, Halloran quickly got dressed, wearing a long sleeved blouse and a sweater and heavy wool slacks. She took a few extra minutes with her makeup, trying to conceal the more colorful bruises and only partially succeeding. Only then did she make her way to the kitchen to start the coffee. She did not want Joe to see her all battered any more than he already had. Hence the quick change from pajamas to street clothes.

Joe came out of the bathroom clad in a towel but wasted no time getting dressed. He hated being out of sight of Halloran as he was sure she was still pretty rattled. He wanted to be there for her especially as she got ready to make her statement. Plus, he _really_ needed several cups of coffee as had gotten no real sleep the night before. He quickly made his way downstairs to the kitchen here he found Halloran sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee somewhat in a fog; lost in her own thoughts. He walked over to the pot and poured himself a large mug before planting a soft kiss on her head. She smiled up at him wanly, dark circles under her eyes.

"You gonna be okay today?" he asked seriously.

"Yeah, I just need to have a good breakfast and about three more cups of coffee." she assured Joe. "I'll be fine, really, just so long as you are there."

"You know I'll be there, Honey, and nothing anybody says will keep me out."

"I know, and I will hold you to that." she replied. "Not quite brave enough to do this solo."

"You don't have to." Joe responded seriously. "Anything you need, you just ask." He poured her another cup and then set about making breakfast. His omelets were fluffy and oozing with cheese. He had just finished plating the second one when the door bell rang. As he half suspected, it was his brother.

"It's only 830, Bro. We have an hour yet." Joe grumped half heartedly.

"Just wanted to make sure you were going to be ready on time." Frank said innocently, even as he sniffed appreciatively the aroma of coffee wafting out from the mug Joe held in his hand when he opened the door.

"Uh uh. Suuuure. More likely you want an omelet. And coffee."

"Well, as long as you are cooking..." Frank trailed off with a grin and a quick hug across Hall's shoulders.

With a resigned sigh, exaggerated of course, Joe passed over the freshly plated omelet that had been intended for himself to his brother and cracked three more eggs into a bowl and started beating them soundly. As he deftly folded the ingredients in and skillfully flipped one side over the other, he kept up a litany of self pitying complaints about older brothers who take unfair advantage of the generous nature of their younger siblings. Frank placidly ignored the whole thing, instead chatting with Halloran about little things like the state of the front garden and what her plans were for planting Spring bulbs before Winter set in and the ground froze.

When breakfast was over, Frank offered to clean up and told Joe and Halloran to go relax in the other room and organize her statement. Halloran visibly shuddered at the suggestion and Joe met his brother's eyes over her bowed head with a frown of concern. Frank just nodded back encouragingly and shooed them out of the kitchen.

"Honey, what's bothering you? What can I do to help?" Joe asked worriedly.

"Nothing, I'm just not looking forward to rehashing the last 4 days of my life, plus, well, to be honest, I am not sure I want you to know either." she looked at him half fearfully.

"Baby, you know I want to be there for you and that means knowing what happened so I can help you through it."

"I know, it's just..." she hesitated before continuing in a rush. 'I know how you get and I don't want you getting all upset over stuff, or doing something stupid that we'll all end up regretting later." She looked at him apologetically.

Joe was about to make a retort when he suddenly realized she was more right than he cared to admit. He snapped his mouth shut and looked properly chagrined. "I hate it when you are hurting, though. And I want to help."

"You did. Last night, when you gave up sleep just to hold me. And you will later when I lean on you when I am giving my statement. But it doesn't mean I want you to hear the gory details." She paused. "Hell it's bad enough I am going to have to relive them myself, let alone make you hear it."

Joe crossed the short distance between them and enveloped her in a strong but gentle hug. "I promise to behave in front of you, and any temper tantrums I throw will only be witnessed by Frank." he said huskily.

"Gee, thanks." Frank's wry voice interrupted the moment. "Just answer me one question. Will I need to borrow Greg's handcuffs?!"

"Hah Hah it is to laugh." Joe groused sullenly before sticking his tongue out at his brother with a twinkle in his eye.

"We do need to get going though, guys." Frank continued apologetically. So they quickly grabbed coats and keys and set out towards the Precinct. The drive was quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. As Frank pulled up to the Station he said "I'll go park the car and meet you inside." so Joe and Halloran got out and jogged up the steps and inside.

Greg was conveniently at the Reception desk idly chatting with the Desk Sergeant when they walked up. "Ready to give your statement?" he asked Halloran with a smile. At her nod, he escorted the two to a small interrogation room where the microphone was already set up. He offered them water or coffee. Joe took coffee, Halloran settled for water. Then Greg turned on his professional persona and spoke into the microphone. "Officer Gregory Herndon, Badge number 128; taking the statement of Halloran Jacobs in the matter of her abduction and illegal confinement by Tyler Cavenaugh. Please state your full name clearly." he motioned towards her with one hand.

"Halloran Marie Jacobs." she said in a clear but somewhat shaky voice. Her hand snaked over to Joe's lap and she grabbed on tight, squeezing his calf forcefully. Joe responded by covering her hand with his own and doing his own squeezing, although much more gently.

"Miss Jacobs, please explain, in your own words, the events that occurred on 12 October of this year and the following days until your rescue." Greg smiled at her encouragingly. "Please give as much detail as possible, using full names when introducing a new individual.

Halloran took a very deep, shaky breath, looked at Joe for moral support, which she got in the form of a tender smile, and began her tale. "I recently took over managing control of Infotech Software, my grandfather Andrew Jacobs' company, after his death a few months ago. Within the last few weeks, I began going over the company's financial records. When I noticed a few discrepancies , I took the matter up with Albert Monroe, the Chief Financial Officer." Over the next hour or so, she described in great detail the events that led up to her being tasered in the parking lot, being careful to emphasize that she had no prior knowledge that Monroe and Tyler Cavenaugh were related, as well as her assertion that she believed Monroe was in no way involved with Cavenaugh's attempt to forcefully acquire the money he had mistakenly transferred to an inaccessible account.

At some point during her recitation, Frank slipped into the room and stood behind Joe. He stayed nearby and only placed a warning hand on his brother's shoulder when Halloran got to the point in her tale regarding Cavenaugh's attempt to disrobe her while she was unconscious. It was here that her composure began to falter, as it finally began to sink in just how close a thing it was. Joe suggested that they take a break, and Greg concurred, standing up and leaving the three of them in the room alone for a short while.

"Why don't I go refill everyone's cups?" Frank suggested tactfully, knowing Halloran wanted as few people as possible to hear the sordid details, and being fairly confident Joe would hold it together for her sake. Joe gave him a grateful glance over Halloran's head, which was once again buried in his chest.

As he slipped out, Greg returned and asked if she was ready to continue. At her nod, he turned the microphone back on and gestured for her to proceed. Her words were halting now; she took longer pauses between comments. She broke down completely when she got to the point where she woke up to Cavenaugh trying to undo her bra. Joe's voice in her ear betrayed nothing of the fire and anger in his eyes. "I am right here. He can't touch you ever again. Just tell Greg what you told me you did." Joe knew that if he prompted her or gave her a leading comment, the tape would not be admissible in court and there was any way he could spare her having to take the stand, he would.

"I shoved my knee into his gonads as hard as I could." She said in a rush. Greg couldn't hide the face splitting grin on his face but he did manage to keep his voice a professional mask as he asked her to continue. "Well, after that he backed away and said a few choice words regarding my similarities to a female dog before shoving me hard to the ground and walking out. There were no windows, and no lights in the shed so it was pitch black. He came by once a day, usually in the evening. The first day he asked me for the passwords through the door. I am afraid I was less than polite with my response. The second, I refused to answer and he got a little violent, slamming a fist or something against the door. He opened the door, but didn't come in. Just shined a flashlight around until he found me. While he was doing that, I followed the light beam and got a general idea of what was in the shed with me, so that when he finally gave up and left me again, I was able to feel my way around without tripping over anything. That's when I found the tool box and felt around until I found the hammer. Umm, how is Officer Goddard?" she asked with an embarrassed flush to her cheeks.

"He'll be fine, just a slight concussion and a few days off. He did mention that next time, he's letting you take point, Joe." Even Halloran smiled at that, somewhat mollified that he wasn't too angry with her. "Please continue, Miss Jacobs. After you grabbed the hammer, then what?"

"Well I tried pounding on the door around the lock, but that didn't work. By then I had been without food or water for something like 2 days or more, so I really couldn't do any real damage. So I just sat there, by the door, waiting for him to come back and unlock it. I had no idea if I was even going to be able to get away even if I could knock him out next time he showed up. I guess I was just lucky that it turned out the Cavalry got there when it did." She finished her story by recounting her side of Goddard's entry into the shed, her swinging as hard as she could, connecting with the Police officer's skull, and being talked down by Joe. Greg finished up the interview basking a few clarifying questions, then wrapped it up quickly and told her she was free to go. "Cavenaugh has a Public Defender and it's likely he's going to be advised to accept a plea bargain with such an air tight case against him. I don't think you need to worry about a court trial. Monroe has already agreed to be a hostile witness if the Defense calls him."

Joe heaved a sigh of relief at that, knowing that a trial would be hard on everyone, but especially Halloran, who would have been forced to relive her ordeal over and over and have her actions questioned. Halloran's shoulders also sagged in relief and she leaned heavily into Joe for a long minute. Greg said his goodbyes and thanked her for her statement. He clapped Joe on the back and held the door open for Frank to enter, fresh cups of coffee and water in hand. Joe made her sip the water and waited for her to gain a measure of control before leaving the little interrogation room and head on out.

"Where to next?" Frank asked.

"The office. Just for a few minutes, Babe, I need to file my report with the FBI real quick." Joe requested "Besides, my car is there and I am pretty sure Frank would look silly in a chauffeur's hat."

"Actually, some of us have real work to do." Frank retorted. "Take the rest of today off, but I want you back on the job tomorrow. Oh and dinner at the homestead tonight. Mom insisted."

Halloran was in a much lighter mood by now and readily agreed to spend time up in Joe's apartment while he caught up on things. Joe escorted her upstairs making sure she was okay and ordering her to come downstairs if she was feeling antsy. "I'm fine, really. I will probably just sit here and watch TV for a while. Maybe call Mellie." With a quick smootch, Joe assured her he wouldn't be gone too long.

He was true to his word. He gave himself exactly 2 hours to get through stuff and after an hour and 57 minutes he was on his way back up the stairs. He found her asleep on the couch, wrapped up in a throw with the TV on in the background. He decided to join her, turning off the TV first before shifting her body up just enough for him to slip underneath. Within 2 minutes they were both fast asleep.

**A/n: **_Probably only one more chapter after this. then my quick one shot before setting aside my quill until after the holidays. any requests for the next big story plot wise? _


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n: **_The final chpter!_

**Chapter Ten**

The sudden loud knock on the door several hours later woke both of them up with a start. Joe nearly threw Halloran on the floor as he automatically went to get up. They laughed as their limbs entangled with the light blanket they had been snuggled under and when the knock came again, Joe shouted "Coming!" as he struggled to get his long legs underneath him. He did somehow manage to gain uprightness and he quickly stumbled towards the door. Throwing it open, he just shook his head. "Frank, why didn't you just walk in? Not like you've never done that before."

"And walk in on you two going at it like a pair of rabbits?! No, thank you." Frank grimaced.

"Hey, we aren't that bad!" Joe retorted indignantly. Halloran just giggled, red faced. "Besides, we were napping."

"Wasn't willing to take the risk, Little Brother. Still haven't gotten over walking in on Mom and Dad." Frank gave a shudder in remembrance.

"Yeah, well I am not sure I have forgiven you yet for that. You know I always wanted a little sister..." Joe teased his brother. Frank just rolled his eyes and plopped down with a sigh on the couch.

"Thought I'd remind you dinner is at 630 sharp." he said. "Did you guys want to ride over with me, or what?"

Joe looked at Halloran, who shook her head. "Nah, we're giving the chauffeur the night off. We'll meet you there after we've had a chance to freshen up." he said.

"Works for me." Frank stood up and headed out. Pausing at the door, he turned and said, "Your turn to bring the wine. I've got the flowers covered." Joe nodded in acknowledgement then shut the door after his brother. Turning back to Halloran, he asked "Did you want another bath or shower?"

"Just a quick shower I think. Do I have clean clothes here still, or not?" she replied.

"How should I know?! Check your half of the closet." He gave her a quick hug before continuing. "I'll pop on down to the liquor store while you are getting ready. I'll be gone ten minutes, tops."

"I was kind of hoping to entice you to conserve water and share..." she pouted.

"And prove my brother right?!" he laughed. "No way Jose. Besides we'd end up being late for dinner that way." Secretly, she was relieved as she could continue to hide the reminders of her recent ordeal from him.

Actually, she was torn between wanting to return to normal as soon as possible and wanting to shield Joe from the more blatant reminders. The last thing she wanted to do was keep seeing the anguish and pain in his eyes every time he found a new bruise. None of them were particularly painful, although the scratches were tender. And she was dimly aware that her continued sense of cold was more mental than anything else, but it still bothered her more than she could stand every time she glimpsed the self recrimination in Joe's sapphire blue eyes. She didn't blame him one bit, and she knew he understood that, but it didn't keep him from feeling guilty anyway. It was one of the things she loved about him most, his ability and willingness to shoulder responsibilities that weren't his to worry about. The merest kernel of an idea began forming in her mind, and she decided to send out feelers before the night was out regarding his willingness to take the next step.

Joe returned in just over ten minutes with a bottle of his mother's favorite Burgundy to find Halloran already out of the shower. Something in the way she was acting made him suppress the initial impulse to focus on her mottled skin and with supreme effort he ignored the yellow and purple splotches and the scratches. Instead he plastered on a big goofy grin and wolf whistled appreciatively at the full sueded skirt that swirled around her legs. She also had raided his closet for one of his older sweaters that didn't quite fit him across the shoulders any more but she filled out nicely, the green almost exactly matching her eyes. "Gimme five minutes to change and we'll get outta here." he raced into the bedroom and quickly swapped from jeans to navy blue slacks and the sweatshirt was replaced with a dark red rugby shirt. They were quickly on their way to Elm Street in the terribly sensible used car Joe had bought with the insurance money from his late, lamented Mustang.

Halloran was determined to put everything behind her now that she had given her statement and to that end she kept the conversation far away from such talk, declaring over pre dinner drinks that she was declaring a moratorium on the subject. "It's done and I don't want to dwell on it any longer. Let's just relax and enjoy ourselves!" Everyone agreed , even Joe who, if he had any misgivings, kept them to himself all night. Laura had cooked a predictably delicious meal of scalloped potatoes and ham with a green salad and pineapple upside down cake for dessert. Halloran insisted on doing dishes and of course guilted Joe into drying. After that was done, they all retired to the living room where Laura had coffee ready to go. They sat around amiably chatting about little things until Fenton broached the subject of Halloran's plans for Infotech.

"Well I was thinking of taking over as CFO. But I need someone else who can lead the company on to bigger and better things. Unfortunately, I don't have the necessary technical background. I imagine it will take some time before I find someone I can trust."

"Perhaps I can offer a suggestion, dear." Laura, of all people spoke up.

"You offering to join the cutthroat world of computer technology,Mom?!" Joe asked with a laugh.

Laura gave him a pointed look as she shook her head no. "Don't be silly, Joseph. I was thinking of Phil Cohen actually."

"Mom, he's in Chicago.. with his own company." Frank was puzzled at the suggestion.

"Not any more. Ever since his father died, Elizabeth has had a very rough time of it and can no longer handle things by herself." Phil had two younger siblings still in school and his mother Elizabeth was stretched very thin. "He's moving back to Bayport after the Holidays. From what Elizabeth has said, I gather Phil is selling his half of the company to his business partner." She smiled at Halloran before continuing. "I don't remember of you have met Phil or not Dear, but he's as much of a Geek as Frank is."

"More" Joe whispered into his girlfriend's ear.

"Actually, Phil would be kind of perfect, especially since he already has Defense Department contacts." Frank mused, excited at the prospect of his best friend moving back home. "If you like, I can put you in touch with him on Monday and you can take it from there."

Halloran agreed, happy to have a possible solution fall so neatly into her lap. She had been worried that she did not have the necessary background to keep the company solvent, and she didn't want to betray her grandfather's legacy. She eagerly asked Frank about Phil's background and credentials and by the end of the evening was optimistic that she and Phil could come to terms.

It was getting late and when Frank and Joe both yawned hugely at the same time, Fenton decided that he was going to bed and suggested that his offspring do the same. The boys each kissed their mother goodnight and Halloran gave her a hug as well. With parting handshakes among the men, everyone parted company. Joe promised that he'd be at the office "No later than 10, I swear!" although Frank privately doubted it would be before noon.

As they got into the car, Joe asked Halloran where she wanted to spend the night. "With you."

"Well yeah, that goes without saying. I was just wondering which way to head." He replied.

"No. I mean I want to spend every night with you. Forever." Her voice was low and shy. "Let's move in together."

To say that Joe was shocked was an understatement. He twisted in the seat, facing her. "Are you sure?!" he asked, incredulous.

"You don't want to." she said it flatly.

"Babe, that's not what I meant all!" he assured her hastily. "But I don't want it to be a delayed reaction from the kidnapping. If we are going to do this, I want it to be because we are ready to take it to the next level, not because you are feeling extra needy for a few weeks." he leaned over and cupped her chin in his hand. "I love you, and I don't want us to regret a single thing about our relationship. I _want_ to take care of you, and wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life. But by the same token I need for you to _want _ it too, not just need the security it brings." He stroked his thumb over her cheek gently. "D'ya understand what I am trying to say?"

"I think so." she replied. "You want me to be absolutely sure, and not just a gut reaction to stuff."

"Exactly. Tell ya what. Thanksgiving is in a few weeks. If you still feel this way by then, then we'll start making plans for after the first of the year. New year, new beginnings." He smiled at her. "That sound fair and logical?"

"Nobody ever accused you of being logical, Studmuffin." she teased. "But I concede that maybe, just maybe my emotions are running a bit rampant at the moment." she took a deep breath. "So I agree to your terms. The discussion is tabled until Thanksgiving night. Neither one of us can mention it at all until then. To _anyone_." She pointed a finger at his chest. "Not even Frank." she warned.

"Only if that applies to Melody as well." he responded.

"Deal." Joe unfastened the seat belt and leaned over the gear shift and kissed her gently before straightening back up, refastening the seatbelt and starting the car.

"Until then, which way?" he asked before heading out of the driveway.

"My house, I think. I have stuff to do and am out of clean clothes at your place. Oh!" she sat up straight. " My car?! Where is it?!"

"Impound probably as they towed it so they could process it. Give Greg a call in the morning, he'll be able to tell you when you can go get it. In the meantime use the Impala."

"In this weather?! Are you insane?!" she asked, shocked at the suggestion.

"Honeyscrunch, it does have a roof you know." he admonished.

"Yeah a puny cloth one that will collapse the first time it snows, not to mention the fact that it does a crappy job keeping the heat in. If I have to wait a few days, I'll just rent a car in the meantime. Not like I have a desperate need right away. Tomorrow I will just call Infotech and set up a meeting for later in the week." she decided. "I need to decide what to do next, and how much to tell the employees about what happened." she grew introspective then, mulling over decisions that would need to be made shortly. She was quiet the rest of the drive to her place, and declined Joe's offer to spend the night, reminding him that he had promised to be at work first thing in the morning. "I will not be responsible for you being late." she declared.

So Joe walked her to the door and kissed her goodnight on the porch. On the way back to his apartment, he went over the last few days in his mind, hoping he had made the right call by insisting Halloran think things over a few weeks before committing. He decided to do a little discreet packing 'just in case'.

The next few weeks flew by for everyone. Cavenaugh jumped at the chance of a plea bargain and ended up doing minimal time in prison. Joe was peeved, but Halloran convinced him she was okay with the outcome. Albert Monroe's office was cleared out by the time she came back to work, and the rumor was Halloran's abduction had caused a minor health scare so he opted to retire. No one who knew the truth saw the need to disabuse anyone of the notion. Joe's undercover work with the FBI led to the prevention of a terrorist act in a major city and he was quietly awarded a special commendation and a hefty reward, half of which he gave to the Agency. Frank promptly commissioned a software package from Infotech. Phil and Halloran had been on the phone constantly over the past few weeks, discussing salaries and contracts and he was glad of the chance to stay in the Tech security business even as he fulfilled his duties as the eldest son. Joe had also offered Phil( very privately) his apartment above the Agency as he fully intended to move in with the love of his life regardless of what she ultimately decided. He figured if she decided to not ask him on Thanksgiving, he'd ask her. Problem solved.

Thanksgiving morning dawned crisp and clear, with a bright blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds hinting at a gorgeous fall day. Halloran had offered to take over dessert duty from Laura and had been baking pies all week. Frank's favorite pumpkin, Laura's preferred pecan, even an apple pie for Fenton and Joe since Key Limes were out of season. Laura had opted this year to have a smaller intimate family gathering, declaring she was too old to keep all the boy's friends fed any more. Joe picked Halloran up just after 1 and helped her drag all the pies out to his car. They arrived at the house to find Frank already there, shanghaied into making the gravy.

"Joseph, help your father put the leaves in the dining room table, please." Laura requested before he even had his jacket off. "And then you can set the table with the good china."

"Yes, Mother" he sighed in resignation, knowing that meant there was no way he could sneak a piece of turkey skin now. Halloran was put to work filling serving bowls with all the sides and then bringing them out to the table. Soon, however, everyone was seated and eagerly awaiting Fenton's carving skills being put to good use. Frank and Joe laughingly fought over the wishbone, with Frank coming out the victor. Joe pouted about as long as it took for Halloran to distract him with a turkey leg. Dinner was filled with laughter and love and the joys of being with family. Halloran was only a little sad as she reflected during quieter moments than she no longer had any family of her own, although Fenton and Laura had each gone out of their way to assure her that she had a new family now.

After dinner, as they were all settling down into the living room to relax a bit before pie and coffee, Joe cornered his mother and asked her to come upstairs for a second. Laura followed her son upstairs, curious as to what he wanted and why he didn't want the others to hear. They were up stairs long enough for the others to notice their absence but when they returned back down, neither one would say what they had been up to. Fenton thought he saw a bit of a gleam in Laura's eye, and Frank was convinced Joe was looking terribly smug about something. However, Mother and Son deftly managed to distract the others and the matter was soon forgotten. They talked and laughed until late. A thinly disguised yawn from Joe's girlfriend was the signal to call it a night. After the hugs and handshakes, Joe and Halloran, each laden down with leftovers, drove in companionable silence towards her house. As Joe pulled int the driveway, he lightly placed a hand on her leg before she could get out of the car. "Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked.

"Just a pie plate, but I told your mother I would get it after the pie was gone." She was confused.

"Not that. About what we _haven't_ been talking about for the last month."

"Oh. That."

"Yes, _that." _he looked at her, the first hint of worry peeking through. "Have you changed your mind?"

In response, she leaned over and planted a big wet one on his lips. "To be perfectly honest I am kind of disappointed that you didn't crack sooner and beg me to ask you earlier." She smiled at him. "Not only have I _not_ changed my mind, Joseph Hardy, I am not sure I want to wait until after the first of the year to make it official."

"What are you doing this weekend?" he smiled at her. "I've been mostly packed for a couple weeks now." the smile turned decidedly Cheshire Cat like in its' smugness.

"Oh, you brat!" she laughed as she punched him in the arm. "I suppose you are going to ask Frank to help?"

"No, I don't think I will. I really don't have much stuff, I can easily transport it in a just a few trips. I'll tell him Monday at work. Luckily I have it sub let already."

"Oh? Who?"

"Your new Chief Operations Officer." he smiled at her evident delight. "Phil didn't really want to move back home home, especially since his girlfriend will be visiting as often as she can. Apparently his younger sister is a bit nosy..." Joe got out of the car and walked around to open her door before escorting her to the door. "Since the building rent covers the apartment, he can just pay utilities like I did in exchange for being an on site security guard."

He lingered at the front door, making the goodnight kiss last a little longer than usual. "I'll be around first thing Saturday morning. Make sure I have a few empty drawers." With a final kiss, he walked back down to the car and drove off into the night. Halloran's smile never left her face even after she fell asleep that night.

**A/n: **_So, you like? I hope so. I have a week to get my you know what in gear and post my Christmas one shot. Hopefully that will keep you all entertained until after the holidays when I start work on my next big one. _


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